


The Salt in Our Scars

by ShadowBlazer



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Gen, Plot? What Plot?, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-08-17 00:42:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8123977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowBlazer/pseuds/ShadowBlazer
Summary: A bunch of "What-If" scenarios set in modern times and in the Fire Emblem era. Also, random stories.Alternative Summary: AUs in which Severa obliviously gets herself a girlfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just had a drabble in my head that I need to write that someone needs to be the highly judged daughter of a small town priest/preacher, and why not throw Lucina/Severa into the mix. 
> 
> By the way, 30 degrees Celsius is roughly about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Everyone in town know what the kids say about the priest's daughter. 

Severa peers at Lucina over the top of her sunglasses as she drives slowly beside her. “Do you know who my father is?”

Lucina hums, wiping sweat away from her eyes while walking under the blistering noonday sun. Her trek along the town's main road from the fields to her home was much hotter than she anticipated and the road is conspicuously bare of trees, as if the town's founders had feared an attack by bandits in the woods. “The priest, correct?” 

In a town as small as Ylisse, everyone knew who each other was from the diplomatic guidance of Mayor Emmeryn to the bar owned by the easy-going Gaius to the beautiful priest who ran the church. And his infamous daughter.

The girl in question glances sidelong at Lucina, driving her convertible so deliberately that they can hear the crunch of gravel beneath the tires. “And you've heard of who I am?”

Every teenager is familiar with the furious girl who skips class, makes money in drag races, and wears clothes that show off enough skin to make the boys gape. Not that it takes much convincing. Between her abrasive attitude and disdain for others, it's not a surprise that most kids stay away from Severa Faulkner like she could cut into their flesh with her words. Which some think she can. It's a contrast to her mother, who is one of the most beloved teachers at Shepherd High, coaching every girls sport team and inspiring students to take the breadth of her classes from home ec to literature. Her daughter is never seen in them though.

Lucina tilts her head to look at the other girl, dressed in a thin, low-cut tank top and possessing a layer of something odd behind her scowl. She almost looks nervous. “I don't think it's possible to go to school and not hear of you.” 

Severa snorts and slams back into her seat. She doesn't look at her. “And you're still talking to me, because...?”

“You started it first.” Lucina grabs the top of her soccer jersey and wipes her brow with it. She's slightly disgusted to find the material already moist. “And you pulled up alongside me,” she points out.

“Because what kind of idiot walks along the main road under the summer sun?” Severa glares at her, pretty features twisted into a semi-permanent scowl. “It's over 30 degrees.” 

Lucina shrugs, although she can feel the heat rush to her face. That might be the sun stroke though. “My bike broke down back a kilometre or so. Also, the roof to your car isn't up either.” 

In fact, Severa's skin along her arms and shoulders are already turning pink from the exposure to the sun. She would burn shortly if she continue on like that for even another ten minutes. Why is her roof down? Also, how does a priest's daughter get a convertible out here? Severa doesn't seem to want to answer.

“Why are you even out here in the first place?” The driving girl grits out.

“I like going out to the fields and the woods on my own. It helps me think. Why are you here?”

Another question that Severa doesn't answer. 

Lucina wipes at her face again. She opens her school bag and pulls out her water bottle, the last of water sloshing around with a lazy gurgle. When she swallows the tepid water, there's a distinct sense of dissatisfaction. “Would you happen to have water?”

Severa snorts, looking away. “No.” She goes silent as the car and Lucina slowly edges down the rough road. “You're going to die of dehydration if you keep going like this. Town's another three kilometres.”

Lucina waves off her assertion. She probably wouldn't die, per say. “How kind of you to care.”

Severa flinches as if struck. She glances away, sweat matting strands of hair to her forehead, cheeks, and neck. Lucina could see the perspiration beading down the exposed skin and into her cleavage, which suddenly made her uncomfortable. 

“I know who you are. Do you know who I am?” Lucina says, mostly to distract herself.

“Everyone knows the niece of the mayor and the daughter of the principle.” Severa stares ahead, gripping her wheel tightly. Her knuckles have gone white. “Most perfect student to ever come along in Ylisse's history. A's in everything and in every single school club. Star of the soccer team. Is there anything you can't do?”

Lucina smiles, grimly. “I can't fix a bike.”

“Or think to call for help, apparently.”

Lucina scratches at her cheek. “Actually, I broke my phone last week.” While cutting fruit. That's not a story she plans to share with anyone. “I'll be okay. I wouldn't want to ask anyone to burden themselves trying to help me correct my mistakes.” 

She swears she hears Severa mutter “Oh my gods, you cannot be real” before driving a little ahead of her and stopping the car altogether. She opens a passenger-side door. “Get in.”

Lucina peers at the door and the girl curiously. “Why?” From the looks of the other girl, Lucina wouldn't get yet another answer.

Severa's jaw is tense, although she doesn't make eye contact. Her whole body is rigid, on the edge of fleeting like a small animal watching for an attack. Her shoulders hunch together. Her eyes look so sad.

Lucina remembers what the kids at school say about the priest's daughter. 

She looks shocked when Lucina sits down beside her. “You're actually accepting a ride? From me?”

Lucina peers at her from the corner of her eye. “You did offer. Did you mean it?”

Severa huffs. “Of course.” She presses a button that makes the roof behind them lift up and cover them, although Lucina is still puzzled about why she had the roof down in the first place. She veers into the centre of the road before accelerating, the faded fence posts alongside the roads blurring into a irregular pattern of brown. Her hands are steady as she handles the wheel. There's a tremble in her jaw that Lucina finds fascinating, like the slope of her nose and the curve of her mouth. The other girl seems to find her equally as engaging if the frequent glances out the corner of her eye mean anything. But perhaps they don't.

They drive the rest of the way in silence, and Lucina lets Severa take her home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucina and Severa go shopping at the marketplace together. Lucina wants to turn it into a date. Severa doesn't notice. Oblivious!Severa for the win. Still no plot. Completely unrelated to the first chapter. Set in the FEA universe.

Lucina's cheeks are flushed when her eyes meet Severa's. "I'm lucky to have you as a companion today."

Severa nods, her eyes trailing over the marketplace in front of them. "Yeah, it helps to have two sets of arms instead of one to carry everything back." She skims the notes of Laurent's procurement with red bold letters printed across the top reading "DO NOT OVERSPEND." Tch, whatever. "And it's always a bore to shop alone."

Lucina's expression falters. "That's not quite what I meant."

"Mmm." Severa is busy being annoyed at Laurent's scribbles all over the list. What does he mean by "NO MORE PEACHES"? "Let's get the boring stuff out of the way and hit the food stalls first. We're low on fruits and vegetables." Especially carrots for some reason.

Her princess' face falls. "Ah, okay. Let's do that." Her hand twitches towards Severa's before being jammed closely to her side. "Uh...would you like to lead the way?" 

Severa raises an eyebrow. "Sure?"

She walks about 50 paces ahead before turning left into the food stands. Piles of bananas, cabbages, and melons are left on nearby tables as their merchant owners gab among each other or to passing shoppers. Unknown aromas and spices hit her nose, and Severa is left trying to figure out which ones they are as Lucina takes the procurement list and scans it with a frown.

"Laurent is awfully precise." She points an item that specifies 3.85 oranges along with another scribble that says "PLEASE STICK TO THE BUDGET". "It may be hard to convince the vendors to sell roughly 90% of an orange."

Severa glances at the list. "I'd like to think of these more as suggestions." She grabs Lucina by the hand and pulls her to the closest stalls. "Let's get the food part over with." When she looks back, Lucina's gone as red as the handful of tomatoes to her left. "...are you okay?"

"Fine!" Lucina charges ahead, her face still bright. She seems to forgotten that they are holding hands, so she drags Severa behind her. "As you said, let's finish this."

They quickly gather all the necessary items for the week before sending a wagon back to the camp with their purchases. Severa looks at the list and then looks at the remaining coin. She smiles. "Now, we get to the fun section of shopping." Severa grabs Lucina's hand and pulls over to the other side of the marketplace where all the trinkets and clothes are. At least by the fourth time she does this, Lucina no longer looks as if all the blood is going to her head. "If you see anything you like, let me— "

Lucina's eyes go wide, and she's propelled towards a merchant's stand with a faded blue banner as if she were magnetized. "Severa, look! They have it in the past too."

Oh, gods.

Severa braves a look over to the counter and nearly retches in response. 

Bear hats. BEAR HATS. 

The mercenary yanks at the merchant boy's shirt and nearly hauls him over his own counter, ignoring Lucina's startled shout. "Who's responsible for these monstrosities?" 

The boy, either due to pride or stupidity, puffs up his chest. "I designed them. And I'll have you know that they're considered fashionable in Valm." 

"These aren't fashionable anywhere." Severa peers at him and recognizes the same scar on his forehead that a certain vendor had in their future. She is considering burning down his stand until Lucina pulls her hand away from his shirt.

"That's enough." She turns to the merchant boy, who staggers back once released. "I apologize for my friend's conduct. How much for a pair?"

Severa drags Lucina away before they have time to get an answer. "If you want to buy something to wear, at least run it by me first. For budgeting reasons," Severa adds at Lucina's hurt look. She feels dirty saying the words. "There's a section of the market over there selling clothing from Rosanne. Let's take a look."

Severa proceeds to drag Lucina through two dozen clothing stands until they find a merchant with acceptable dresses. And even then, Severa has to shut down at least three of the dresses that her friend had picked out for her mother if only because polka dots and plaid should not be on the same piece of cloth ever. 

Lucina's expression crumbles by the sixth dress' rejection. "Is there anything that you think would be a good present?" She glances at the darkening night above them. Evening has fallen. 

Severa sniffs and plucks out an elegant blue dress. "This would go well with your mother's eyes."

Lucina looks puzzled but takes the article of clothing. "But it doesn't have a picture of Emmeryn on it." 

Oh, for— 

"Just take it. She'll appreciate it. Trust me." 

Lucina frowns but purchases the dress nonetheless. Severa leaves the stall with no less than four dresses in tow and heads over to the jewellers' stands. She takes a look at the pendants and necklaces sparkling with gems and glittering in flashes of gold and silver, and she sighs. Even Severa knows her limits when it comes to what she cannot buy,

Lucina glances at her before turning her gaze back to the necklaces on display. "Were you thinking of buying one for yourself?"

"I'm out of coin," mutters Severa. Her own personal allowance for the week is gone 

Lucina looks at her thoughtfully before pointing out a necklace in the far back to the waiting merchant. She trades her coin for a stunning silver necklace with an amber stone, which she presents to her equally stunned friend.

"Why are you giving me this?"

Lucina leans forwards and affixes the jewelry around Severa's neck, the brushes of her gloved hands making the redhead very aware of how close her friend is for the first time this evening. "I thought I would give you a present for this evening. I enjoyed spending it with you." She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and looks at Severa shyly. "Though I hope I could give you a different kind of jewelry, and I pray that you will accept." Her voice goes soft. The tips of her ears are red. "In any case, that is in the future." She clears her throat and gestures towards the rest of the marketplace. "Shall we continue?"

They make it back to the camp late, and when Severa hands Laurent the list and tallied amounts of what was spent, she's surprised that the mage isn't furious. Of course, it is hard to be angry when one keels over and passes out after looking at the total. Severa and Lucina split up with the latter bringing her present to her mother while Severa has to drag Laurent to the medical tents. Heavy bastard.

Lucina comes to Severa later on in the evening, excited and nearly skipping with joy as the mercenary is sharpening her blade.

"Mother loved the dress you picked out for her. You have a real eye for colours." 

Heh. Severa turns her face, so she could hide her smirk. She gives Lucina a lazy shrug. "It was the nicest dress out of that pile of rags."

"Regardless, Mother adores it, though she looked terrified at first when I said that I had a gift for her." Lucina's brow furrow together. She peers at Severa hesitantly. "Will you go shopping with me next time? If I require another gift for her?"

Severa blinks. "Lucina, I'll go shopping with you every time." If only to stop her from buying more bear hats.

Lucina smiles, though a slight flush courses across her cheeks. "Thank you, my friend." She takes a deep breath before leaning forward and pecking Severa on the cheek. Severa nearly slices her finger off in response. "And that necklace looks beautiful on you." Her voice goes low and husky, and Severa's head is swimming. Lucina glances over her before stepping out of the blacksmith's tent. 

Severa could only stare and get the feeling that she had missed something big this entire evening. 

***

Severa later finds a handmade pie tucked underneath her pillow when she returns to her tent with a loopy "Thank you" scrawled across a pink note. Almost as an afterthought, there was a "There's more where this came from" underneath it. The note underneath that one reads "Please don't touch my daughter under the orders of the King" in a messy scratch. 

Severa's eyebrow twitches. She crumples up the note and devours the entire pie.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severa's friends have noticed that she's been pricklier than usual, so they arrange something like a let's-get-Severa-laid-intervention. Lucina is not pleased. Oblivious!Severa still reigns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of chapter two with more angst and seriousness! Because I meant to write something light-hearted and ended up writing this. Enjoy.

Severa feels sweat bead down her neck as she sits in the Exalt's tent, watching him slowly sharpen the Falchion. He's careful to hold it in such a way that demonstrates how wickedly sharp the edges are, despite the fact that Falchion does not need sharpening. Ever. 

Chrom glances over his blade before setting it on a table in clear sight of Severa. “Sorry for the hold up. I'm glad you received my invitation for a quick chat.”

Severa wants to point out that a note reading “Please go to the king's tent under royal orders” isn't much of an inviting gesture. She bites her tongue instead and asks, “Regarding what?”

"Regarding my daughter." He clears his throat. “What are your intentions with her?”

Huh?

“To be friends?” Was that a trick question? 

Chrom's expression darkens.

Ah, fuck. It was.

“Just friends?” Chrom raises an eyebrow. “Is just being friends the reason why Lucina is suddenly attentive at the mention of your name? Or why she always schedules her sentry duties to overlap with yours? Or keeps a picture of you in a secret locket close to her heart?”

Lucina keeps what now?

“Severa, you're a sharp girl. Surely, you've noticed...” The words catch. He clears his throat and sounds like he's forcing them out through a vice. “...that she seems to be romantically interested in someone recently. Someone very close to her, and she's at that age where she may be looking to d-date. And she may have...questions. Uncomfortable questions if you know what I mean, Severa.”

“Umm...okay.” Severa's pretty sure that she's really not needed for this conversation. “But why are you talking to me about this? Shouldn't you be giving the birds and the bees talk to your own daughter?” 

Chrom's face goes red. “Not that! I mean about who she's attracted...attracted to—” He clears his throat while the tips of his ears go pink. “Haven't you noticed Lucina being...very comfortable with you?”

Severa frowns. “Well, yeah. We've been friends forever, and we've fought together, bled together, bathed together, slept together—”

“...could you repeat that last part?”

Severa flushes. “Not like that! Gawds! I mean sometimes when our party settled down to camp for a night, Lucina always laid her bedroll next to mine.”

Chrom sighs. “Oh. You meant slept next to each other.”

Severa rubs the back of her neck. Uh...well. 

He narrows his eyes. "You're hiding something."

"Ugh! You make it sound like I'm a spy or something!" Severa crosses her arms. She looks anywhere but at him. “Look, Lucina sometimes shared my bedroll at night when we camped, because we didn't always have enough supplies for everyone. I mean, it's not weird or anything. It worked when we were young, but we got bigger and it made sleeping in the same one sort of weird." 

Chrom's left eyebrow twitch. "What kind of weird?"

"Ummm...Lucina can be pretty physical in her sleep. I always woke up with her hands on my—”

Chrom looks like he's having an aneurysm. Severa doesn't particularly be known in Ylisse's history as the unintentional assassin who ruptured the king's brain with too much information. 

They're interrupted by the sound of the tent's flaps ripping open. Severa turns to look at Lucina heaving at the door as if she just ran here, her expression somewhere between panicked and murderous.

“Father,” Lucina says through gritted teeth. “Robin wishes for your help in counting the kitchen supplies.” 

That's an obvious lie if Severa has ever heard one. Everyone in the camp knows that Severa's mother keeps track of every single piece of equipment and produce so strictly that she recites the numbers in her sleep. Literally.

Chrom takes several deep breaths to bring the colour of his face down from purple to a gentler mauve. He looks at Lucina and seems like he's about to argue when Sumia shows up. 

The queen takes in the scene with a thoughtful look. “Dear, why don't you help me carry some of the supplies in the storage to the kitchen?”

The king's eyes flick between his wife and daughter. They land on Severa who shifts. “We need to finish this talk f—”

“No, you don't,” Lucina and Sumia say in unison. 

Sumia grabs her husband's arm. “Time to leave the girls alone.”

Chrom looks like he wants to do anything but that. He grabs the Falchion from the side table and waves it somewhat threateningly at Severa as he's literally dragged from the tent by his wife.

Lucina looks apologetic. “I came by your tent and saw Father's note on your bed. I'm sorry if he's caused you any trouble.” 

Severa shakes her head and stands. “I think your dad was trying to interrogate me. He said you were interested in someone.”

Lucina's face flushes. Her eyes are bulging, and her voice seems to catch. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Severa brushes herself off, despite not having a speck of dirt on her. “So, who do you have the hots for, by the way? Didn't know you had a crush.”

Lucina goes redder than Severa's hair. She opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water. Severa has never seen her princess looks so flabbergasted.

The alarm alerting the presence of Risen goes off above them. Lucina bolts so quickly out of the tent that it almost looks like she's fleeing. “SorrySeveratheresRisenatthecampandweshouldgofightthemrightnowandletstalkaboutthisnever.” 

Um...okay. Severa heard none of that. She'll have to ask her about it later.

Also, Risen attack. Right.

She draws her sword and starts to head out when she spots Sully and Stahl riding to defend their rear. She dashes after then and help the two knights clear out the Risen in southern parts of the camp. When the Risen have been taken care of, they make their way back to the centre where everyone has gathered. Robin decides it's not safe to stay, and the entire party packs up their gear in short time.

Severa is busy trying to shove her tent and bed gear on top of a fat little pony who hates her when Noire comes up to her. She smiles shyly as she helps with one of the saddle straps. 

“Hi, S-Severa," She glances sidelong at her friend and swallows. "Cynthia is throwing a small get-together at the meal tent later tonight.”

The mercenary lets out a grunt as the pony tries to bite her fingers off. Stupid mare has been pissy ever since that wood chopping incident. “What does that have to do with me?”

Noire's cheeks are red. “Well, I was hoping you'd join in. It's been a while since you ate with everyone, and I got a little worried. I know you tend to withdraw when you're troubled.”

“What would I be troubled about?” Other than accidentally wiping herself out of existence somehow or failing at the claws of Grima, she's just peachy. 

Noire casts her eyes downwards, and Severa grimaces. She's seen enough disappointment on her friend's face for a lifetime. 

Severa sighs, making sure to draw it out as if she's long-suffering. "Oh, all right. I can sit down for 10 minutes, but only because I've got nothing else to do." 

Noire's face lights up. "That's great, Severa! I look forward to eating together." Her expression shifts, and she looks oddly guilty for a moment before she looks away. 

"Yeah, whatever." Severa finally gets everything strapped down and gets on her sulking mount. "Do you need a ride or not?"

They travel closer to a nearby town with a surrounding lake. By the time they scout the perimeters and set up the tents, it's night time, and Severa is just looking forward to scarfing down her meal and slipping away to her tent shortly to pass out.

No such luck.

"Heya, best buddy!" Cynthia practically slams her bowl of soup down next to Severa, nearly splashing the other girl who lets outs a shout. "You're not escaping that easily!"

Lucina nods and sits down on Severa's other side. "It'd be good to eat together after such a long day."

Severa scowls. She spots Kjelle and Nah sitting on either side of Lucina and Cynthia while Noire takes a spot in front of her. None of the guys are here. It feels like a trap. "You idiots are up to something. Spill it, so I can go back to my tent and sleep."

Cynthia exchanges frowns with Kjelle while Lucina looks on with a puzzled expression. Noire hides her face behind her hands while Nah sighs.

The pegasus knight starts, "Well, you see. You've been ...sharper than usual lately, and we've been thinking about that maybe you need some excitement in your life to get that crankiness out." 

Severa's fairly certain that she was born grumpy, but the cheerful girl continues before she can interrupt.

Cynthia grins. “Which is why we thought of a brilliant idea to cheer you up! We arranged a date for you.”

Lucina had been drinking a glass of water. She spits out her drink and begins to hack, thumping her chest. Nah looks alarmed and begins slapping her back. When the choking subsides, she rubs at her throat and smiles weakly. “A date for Severa, you say?”

Severa scowls. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Kjelle leans against the table. “It's for the best of the camp.” She glances at the other girls. “We think that you've been more irritable than usual because you're...single.”

Single.

Single.

SINGLE.

Severa slams her hands into the table. “You think I'm being a bitch because I need to get l—”

Kjelle leans into her space. “I think you're angry, because you're lonely.”

The whole table goes silent. Noire and Nah stare at the knight with wide eyes while Lucina looks at Severa. Cynthia lets out a low "Oooooh" which doesn't help the mood.

Severa opens and closes her mouth. "Fuck you." 

Kjelle snorts, “You wish.” She points at the other end of the tent where Owain, Gerome, and Brady are arguing with the swordsman making huge, exaggerated gestures as usual. “You get the prince there tomorrow night.”

Severa wrinkles her nose. Owain? Really? Gerome was at least easy on the eyes, and Brady knew when to shut his trap for the most part. “Why? Did you pay him or something?”

Kjelle shrugs. "No. But I know he's made some friends with some Valmese fashion merchants who like to give him a 50% discount on their wares." She continues on as Severa's fingers twitch. "And he just so happen is going to meet them at the nearby market tomorrow. It's a shame you won't be going, seeing as you're opposed to a date with him."

"We don't have to be dating to hang out together." Hang out together while buying dresses for Severa, that is.

Kjelle hums. "So, I'll tell him that you'll be coming?"

Yes. 

No. 

Yes. 

Fuck.

"I'm going, so I can go shopping with Owain. Don't you dare tell him that it's a date." 

Kjelle shrugs. "Sure. Doesn't change what it is." She stands up, gathering her tray while ignoring the open-mouth gapes of the girls around her. "But try to look nice. You are going to go with a Ylissean prince, by the way."

Severa just snarls in response.

***

The next day, Severa scowls as she holds up a hand mirror above her head. She addresses Lucina sitting on her cot as the redhead shifts the mirror to examine her dress, cut in a colour of cream and ending just above her knee. “Did you know that all of our friends are morons?”

“They're charming in their own way,” Lucina replies. Her eyes track Severa across the tent. She looks sad. “You seem eager to go on this date.”

“One, not a date, and, two, I'm just ready to get it over with. Cynthia's picking me up soon for it.” Severa lifts up one of her twins tails and grimaces. “Ugh, even if it's Owain, I can't show up ugly for a prince.” 

Lucina stands up and hugs Severa from behind. She rests her face in the crook of Severa's neck, and, despite herself, Severa feels herself leaning into her friend. “I think you always look beautiful.” 

“You think pictures of Emmeryn on polka dots are beautiful...but thanks anyway. For the compliment,” Severa huffs, feeling heat flood her face. “You can let go now.” As a rule of thumb, Severa is not a physical touch kind of person. But Lucina is. 

Lucina shakes her head, nose brushing against Severa's neck. “You are not getting rid of me that easily.” She hums. “And I know you could do with more affection, Severa.

“Whatever.” She's not going to concede that the only people who hug her are her parents and Lucina. And...Lucina's a pretty awesome hugger too.

They lean into each other, enjoying the silence of the tent. Severa appreciates that Lucina knows when to give her space for her thoughts instead of trying to fill the quiet with incessant chatter. Although all her thoughts are currently revolving around how much she hates her shoes.

Lucina tenses slightly. She draws a breath. “Have you thought about what you may do when we win?”

“Short of fight brigands and get gold, not really.” Severa sighs. “What about you?”

Lucina shifts. “I had hoped to see the world as it is. In our time, everything was already destroyed by the time we left.” She hesitates. “I was hoping to have a companion join me.”

“Hmm...well, you get along with everybody, so you'll have no shortage of people clamouring to be by your side.” 

Lucina ducks her head. “Not just anyone.” 

Severa turns around in the embrace and hears Lucina's breath hitch. “You have someone in mind?”

Lucina bites her lip. She can't seem to make eye contact. “Do you remember that time we lost the battle at the southern forests, and you had to hide me in the swamps until the others found us?”

Severa's brought back to screaming in the night, darting past showers of arrows as Minerva and Cynthia's pegasus fly overhead towards the mages blasting their troops apart. She recalls Lucina dropping as a trio of arrows spear into her side, and her vision narrowing. How she managed to haul Lucina onto her shoulders and run from the fight while both were dressed in full armour was beyond her understanding. She just remembers waiting in the dark silence of the swamp, waist-high in water, muck, and blood while supporting a badly wounded Lucina on one side of her, a broken sword in one hand and the weight of her world on her shoulders. The sight of Yarne's face popping over the overhanging bank at sunrise had never been so welcomed before.

Severa asks, “What about it?”

“I had really thought that on that day I would have fallen. But you carried me away from the fight and risked your own life to protect mine.”

“We're friends, Lucina. Anyone would have done that!” Severa feels her face go hot. “And all I really did was make sure we didn't get slain by Risen.” Or eaten by crocodiles. Fucking crocodiles.

Lucina shakes her head. “You underestimate and undervalue yourself, Severa.” She lowers her eyes. “I think if we win, I would like to go away.”

“What was that?” Severa's voice is calm. The hairs on her nape are rising.

"I...I'm only good for fighting and little else. If there should be peacetime, I do not believe that I would be of any use." She glances up into Severa's eyes, and there's something vulnerable in her eyes that knocks Severa's breath out of her chest.

“Sometimes, I feel as if I only exist as a patchwork of scars, like if there was no Grima to fight, I would disappear.” Lucina brings Severa's hand up over her heart, and Severa's busy shutting down the panic alarms in her head before she realizes that her friend is still talking. “—wouldn't wish that fate on anyone, though I'm afraid I would be at a loss at what to do afterwards. There's so many losses, so many sacrifices, and all of them on my hands.”

“Hey.” Severa brings up her other hand to touch her friend's cheek. “Ylisse to Lucina, you didn't make Grima attack us. You didn't make Risen swarm everywhere. And you didn't choose to rend our world into an apocalypse. None of that's on you. That's on Grima.” 

Lucina flinches. “Even so, I could have—”

“No. You don't get to do that today. None of that was any of your fault.” It never was. “And you saved us right here by getting us out of that dead future. We owe our lives to you." Severa takes a breath. "I owe my life to you."

Lucina fiddles with her fingers. “And I owe everyone a debt for following me and leaving everything behind.”

“Excuse me? We wanted to come with you. It's not exactly paradise back home, y'know.” 

“Even so, everything that everyone has given up to be here. I—” Lucina places her hands on Severa's shoulders and squeezes. “If there's anything I can grant you, please just ask.”

Severa hesitates. If anyone overheard the next words she was going to say, she would deny them faster than Gerome denies making kissy faces at Minerva. “Just...anywhere you go, let me go too. I'm not leaving your side, Lucina. I never will.” She clears her throat, feeling embarrassment crawl up through her chest. Lucina looks stunned for a few long seconds, and Severa begins to wonder how she can either play her words off as a jest or possibly fake her death to get out of this awkward situation.

Before she can do so, Lucina tightens her grip. She murmurs. “When you say such words, how could I not fall in love?”

....

HUH?

“Do you mean as friends?” Severa blurts out, because she can't think of anything to say while Lucina's expression shifts from panicking to mimicking Chrom's from earlier in the day. She has caused two people of royal blood to have an aneurysm. It's a new record for her. 

Cynthia's voice calls out from outside her tent. “Severa, you ready? I'm coming in.” 

Severa snarls a warning, but it doesn't deter the pegasus knight. Cynthia marches in with a grin that drops when she spots them. She sports an expression like she's been clubbed over the head. “What are you two doing?”

Lucina backs off, and Severa feels a strange sense of disappointment. She takes it out on Cynthia. “Being friends. If you had any, you might know the feeling.”

Cynthia rolls her eyes. “Oh, snarky Severa. What a surprise. Not.” She gestures outside. “I've come to pick you up for your date, m'lady, once you're done fondling my sister.”

Severa scoffs while Lucina abruptly turns away, the tips of her ears almost crimson. Her princess' voice is tight. “Have a wonderful date with Owain, Severa.” 

Severa wants to forget the date and ask about what Lucina meant earlier, but her mouth doesn't work and her courage seems to flee her in times when it matters. She follows Cynthia out instead. Her next words come out stiff and hollow. "Thanks, Lucina. I'll see you later."

Lucina doesn't answer, and Severa walks out, feeling like she's making the mistake of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a second part, I swear!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of chapter 3. Now from Lucina's perspective. Wacky and nonsensical plot coming in!

Lucina steps in front of Cynthia as her sister dismounts her pegasus. “Take me to where you took Severa. Please.”

Cynthia gives her a strange look. “Sure, sis, but what's with the giant glasses and moustache?”

Lucina touches her disguise. “I need to blend in.” She ducks her head. “I admit that I am doing a bit of espionage that I most likely should not indulge in.”

“Oh! You're spying on Severa's and Owain's date! You should have asked to join. Noire and Kjelle are already doing it.”

“...pardon me?”

“Keeping an eye on the date. Because you know it's Severa, and she's likely to ruin any good thing that comes her way.” Cynthia rolls her eyes. “But we're totally spying in a respectful way. Plus, if you're worried about Severa being mean to Owain, then—”

“It's not that which concerns me most tonight.” Lucina takes a breath. “Cynthia, I must confess something, though I am uncertain as to how you will take it."

Cynthia's instantly at her side, holding her hands. Her eyes are big and worried. "Whatever it is, I'm on your side 100%!"

Lucina smiles. Some of the fear gripping at her belly begins to let go. "I'm attracted to women. In a romantic way.”

Cynthia looks stunned before breaking into a huge grin. “That's amazing, Lucina! I'm so honoured that you would tell m—”

“And I like Severa.” 

“—e that about your—what.”

Lucina shifts at the horrified expression on Cynthia's face. “I have developed rather non-platonic feelings for—”

“I know what you mean! Just...Severa.” 

“Yes.”

“SEVERA.”

The Falchion wielder is starting to think there might be a problem. “I see that you have an objection.”

“Not an objection but...” Cynthia hesitates. “Couldn't you like someone...nicer?”

“She is nice.”

Cynthia snorts. “To you. She calls me a dork and makes fun of me every other day.” 

Lucina frowns. “To be fair, you do refer her as an 'ice queen' to her face.” 

“Yeah, and she revels in it.” Cynthia shudders. “How about Kjelle? Did you see her abs?”

"I've heard about them." From Severa of all people. Upon hearing her friend's veiled praise, Lucina begins to wonder if she should do more abdominal exercises too. "Kjelle is a strong knight and a wonderful friend, but I do not feel that way about her."

"Well, if Kjelle doesn't float your boat. There's always Nah or Noire." Cynthia scrunches up her nose at Lucina's expression. "No? How about a village girl? There were rumours back when Father was still a bachelor—"

“Cynthia.” Lucina's tone becomes stern. “I have felt this way for a long time. I doubt that I can change my heart so quickly.”

Her sister peers at Lucina under from her long lashes. “You're really set on her, aren't you?”

“Absolutely.”

“You are aware she bonked me on the head, a fellow princess of Ylisse, with a wooden sword when we were five during training, right?”

“Cynthia.” 

Her sister sighs and remounts her pegasus. “Oh, all right. I support you, though I loudly question your taste in women.” 

Lucina pulls her down into a hug. “You're the best sibling I could ask for.”

“And don't you forget it!” Cynthia gathers her mount into flight, and they take off over the outlaying forest. There's a town lighting up the base of a mountain up ahead with festive torches that suggest a celebration. "There's a big party down there! A maiden's festival where girls gather to find the love of their life!"

A festival that celebrates finding love in a place where Owain and Severa are on a date. 

That does not sound good. 

Lucina peers over her sister's shoulder to look closer at the lights. "Is Inigo there?"

"Yup. And sulking, because Gerome and Brady are attracting more girls than him again. Even Severa gets hit on by more girls than he does. They seem to find her grumpy act cool and mysterious."

"That's—" The worry in Lucina's belly tightens. "That is less reassuring than I'm comfortable with." 

Cynthia goes quiet for a while. “I guess you could do worse than Severa.” She glances back. “At least, I know she'll protect you with her life if she has to.” 

“I hope it never comes to that.”  
___

Cynthia lands her pegasus near the centre of the town where they run around looking for the pair. Lucina gets slowed down by several girls who drape themselves over her shoulders and stroke her fake moustache. The tankards of meads in their hands seems to have contributed to their overly friendly mood. 

Eventually, the sisters spot the duo lining up outside a large tent decorate with red streamers and velvet curtains. Severa is trying to shake off a drunken blonde girl who seems very fond of the mercenary's arm while Owain makes large, whirling gestures with an unimpressed man in a brown robe holding strips of tickets in his hands. The man seems to have given in and shoves two tickets into Owain's hands, waving them in. Lucina and Cynthia race after them, coming up to the man before realizing they left their coin at the camp.

Cynthia looks determined to convince the man to let them in. She begins to suck in a breath when the man shakes his head and plants two tickets in Lucina's hand. 

He rubs at his ears and winces. "I've had enough attempts at haggling tonight. Enjoy the show, ma'am." He nods at Lucina. "Sir." 

Her sister bounces on her toes. "Oh! I've heard that there's a play tonight. I think it's a tragic story involving a love triangle." 

Lucina swallows at the statement. She hopes that it isn't an omen. 

They slip into the tent where they see Owain and Severa watch a romantic rendition of Three's a Sorrow. Owain takes her to the front seats of the tent where Lucina can't follow without being seen, and he's crying halfway through the play about the tragic death of Verrick from a butter knife. He collapses on Severa's shoulder who leans away from him while awkwardly patting his back. 

Cynthia sniffles on Lucina's right side. "Oh, Verrick. He never got to hear about Alana's true feelings for him before fighting to save the free lands of Rosanne from his step-father's tyranny." She blows her nose on her sleeve. "And we could have gotten better seats than halfway down from the stage." 

It's hard to pay attention to her sister when Lucina spots Severa frantically looking around for something to dry Owain's tears before saying something to the distraught blond and making her way out of the tent. She mutters something quickly to Cynthia and follows her friend out of the tent and into the vendor's square. Lucina catches up to Severa who manages to snag a spare handkerchief from a gentleman with wandering eyes. From the set of her friend's mouth, it's clear that the man is one leer away from having his nose crumpled into his face, but he seems to have spot Severa's expression and hastily bids her farewell.

Lucina feels sweat start to slick her palms. She steps up to her friend and clears her throat. Severa turns around and nearly drops her newly gotten handkerchief. 

“Lucina! What are you doing here?” Severa hisses. She rips off Lucina's moustache, and the Falchion wielder winces. “And with that horrid disguise?”

The princess blinks. “It didn't fool you?”

“You in a horse costume couldn't fool me.”

Lucina considers that she may have to upgrade to a wyvern one in that instance. 

“Just...what are you doing here?” Severa sighs. She clasps the elbow of one arm. 

Lucina straightens. “Our conversation earlier...” She doesn't miss her friend's wince. “I can't let it end without properly telling you how I feel.” 

"You're in love with me, right?" Severa doesn't raise her eyes. "Look, I don't know what you're doing here, but you can't just drop that on me and expect me to know exactly what to do." 

Lucina feels her voice catches in her throat. "I don't."

Her friend scoffs and glances up. "So, what do you want from me? My heart?" She crosses her arms and drops her voice. "Or something more base than that?"

Lucina stares at Severa's jaw. It's trembling. "You're scared. Of me?"

Severa looks away, and that beautiful jaw clenches. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

This? "You mean me?"

"I just..." Severa sighs. She brushes her bangs out of her eyes. "It's just a lot to take in." She fiddles with her fingers and glances up. "Please tell me you were joking. Also, crashing someone else's evening is kind of tacky."

Lucina's breath catches in her throat. There's a painful constricting feeling in her chest. "Why would I jest about something like this?"

"Because! You're a beautiful princess with so much going on for her that it makes no sense that you would—" Severa shakes her head. "Maybe we should just stay friends." 

Lucina takes a step forward. "Are you saying that, because you're uncertain or because..." She swallows. "...you don't feel the same way towards me?"

Her friend takes a breath. "I don't. I'm sorry, Lucina."

Oh.

Lucina's hand twitches. She begins to walk away despite not knowing where to go. "I see. I apologize for taking up your time then. Please enjoy the rest of your time with Owain tonight."

Severa looks alarmed. "Lucina—" She reaches to grab Lucina's wrist while the retreating girl snatches away her arm as if her touch burns. The hurt on Severa's face is obvious. She doesn't reach out again.

And Lucina's already gone.

***

Lucina stumbles across a local tavern and decides that this would be a good place to mope. After half an hour in, she realizes that she left Cynthia back at the theatre tent and raises to go get her when she hears the clink of glasses on the wooden counter in front of her. She turns her head to see Noire and Kjelle staring at her. 

Noire asks, “Lucina? What are you doing here?”

The princess groans. She sits back down and drops her head onto the counter. “I had hoped to convinced Severa not to continue on with her date with Owain.” 

“You're here to spy on Severa?” Noire looks stunned. Kjelle, however, has a smug expression on. “I don't think she would like that very much.”

“She did not.” Lucina contemplates crying. However, she is a princess and warrior, and warriors do not cry. Princesses might though.

Noire exchanges glances with the knight. She bites her lip. "But why are you spying on them? Are you concerned that Severa might assault Owain sometime over the course of their date?"

If she wasn't before, Lucina was now. "No, that was not on my mind. I—" Her shoulders sag. "—I needed to know something, and I received my answer."

Kjelle hums. "Whether Severa is as in love with you as you are with her, right?"

Lucina stares at her. "...am I really so obvious?"

"Well, short of running around the camp, wrapped in a banner that says 'I love Severa'...but I digress." Kjelle says, “So, you stalked Severa on her date, had a bad discussion with her, and now you're pining over her in this place like a jilted lover.”

“I am not pining.”

“Oh please, you're being the piniest pine who ever pined. And that includes Severa,” Kjelle snorts. 

Noire nods slowly. "You are being rather grim today." 

Lucina sighs. "She does not feel the same way towards me as I do her, and I do not wish to impose upon her if she is certain that—"

Kjelle rolls her eyes. "Severa's about as useful with her feelings as Inigo is with women. She's probably confused and overthinking things." 

Lucina asks. "So, what do you suggest?"

Kjelle leans in. “You have feelings towards her, don't you?” She grabs Lucina by the shoulders and hauls her to her feet. “Then go after her, like a real woman would. Let Severa know that you're not letting her run away emotionally, because she's scared.” 

The Falchion wielder raises an eyebrow. "But how?"

Noire glances around nervously and rubs a talisman in her hands. “Owain decided to take her out on a romantic ride around the lake in a swan boat. You could intersect them there.”

Lucina hesitates. "But...what if Owain truly has romantic affections for Severa? He is my cousin, and my family's happiness comes first. You also did go through all that effort to set them up—"

Kjelle slaps her own forehead. "Please stop being a martyr and go after what makes you happy for once. Also, I can vouch that Owain would happily give up anything he may have with Severa if it would help you. You're his family too." She sighs. "Besides, even if she says no again, all it'll do is make camp a little awkward for a while." 

Lucina considers her words. "It does not make total sense, but I agree that I can't leave our conversation like the way that I did." She glances at Noire. "Could you go to the theatre tent and tell Cynthia there where I've gone to?" At Noire's nod, she relaxes. "Thank you. I feel quite foolish for leaving my sister there on her own." 

Kjelle grabs her wrist. "Worry about Cynthia later. You have your lady love to worry about." 

They run down to the lake where lines of boats carved in the shape of a swan are swimming across the inky surface of the lake, dotted with floating candles and torches. Kjelle hastily crams some coin into the surprised operator's hand as she interrogates him about where their grumpy friend and Owain went while Lucina climbs into a boat. 

Kjelle points towards the mountains. "He says they went on the path that way just a few minutes ago. It loops around the town to a final dock on the other side. They have a swan boat that has an orange lantern in the front." She eyes the somewhat flimsy structure of the swan boats. "Forgive me if I don't join you, but I'm afraid that we'll both sink if I do." She steps back. "I'll meet you at the last dock instead."

Lucina nods. "Thank you. For everything."

Kjelle freezes for a second, looking oddly guilty. "Don't thank me yet, Lucina. You still have the hardest part to do." She pushes away the boat, and Lucina begins paddling frantically to figure out the controls of the boat. As it turns out, they are quite simple, and the worried swordswoman starts to follow the lit path along the lake, her breath starting to come out in white plumes in the chill of the night. 

She passes very few boats on the lake, some with blue lanterns. Others with green. It takes her a while to find one with an orange one, and Lucina feels her heartbeat rise into her ears. She steers her boat towards it without a second thought, worried because it is drifting like its occupants are no longer concerned with moving quickly. 

She nears the boat within minutes and without thinking, Lucina leaps from her swan boat into Severa's. She flips to land on her feet as the boat tips dangerously to one side, and its occupant lets out a yell. 

Occupant. Single.

Severa stares at her, eyes bulging. “What in Naga's name do you think you're doing?”

Lucina blinks, still crouched in the cramped front space of the boat. As it turns out, the boat is quite small, and she's partially on Severa's lap, which is somewhat distracting. “Where's Owain? Did he fall in?”

“I left him back at the shore, because he got seasick. On this thing and insisted that I go on without him. After talking about how awesome and single you were. All night.” There's an expression on Severa's face like she's putting puzzle pieces together. Her face changes as if she's finally able to see the whole picture, and she looks enraged. “Those. Idiots.” She grabs Lucina by her collar and growls into her face. Lucina's uncertain about whether to feel aroused at the proximity or fearful of the situation. Her body decides on both. "Did you set up this entire thing, so I would fall in love with you?"

Lucina looks at her. "Do you honestly think I would do that?"

Severa's shoulders sag. "No. You would never be capable of such idiotic deceit." Her hands are still on Lucina's collar, resting on her collarbone. "But you did leap out of nowhere into my boat, so I kind of need a fucking explanation." She goes quiet for several moments. “That did look impressive though when you jumped from the boat. Gawds, you always look so cool, and you don't even realize it.” 

Lucina cups Severa's face. She's having trouble thinking. “You're beautiful.” 

“What?” A blush starts from Severa's nose and spreads across her cheeks. How can she not notice how cute she is? “Okay, thank you, but still not a explanation.”

“I ran into Kjelle and Noire at the tavern, and they said that I should go after the person that I love." Lucina swallows, and she's surprised to see Severa mirroring the movement. "I know that you said that you do not feel the same way towards me, but I want a honest answer from you. Not the answer you give, because you're afraid that you don't deserve it when someone loves you." She feels the blood in her ears, her heartbeat in her throat. 

Severa sighs and turns her head to the side. In the faint light of the orange lantern, Lucina can still see the dust of pink across her cheeks. “I've thought about you all night. Even during that stupid play. I'm not in love with you, but if I'm honest with myself, I think about you a lot more than I think friendship would warrant. And that confuses me, because you're the future princess of Ylisse and I'm just a common girl—" She yelps as Lucina lunges towards her and sweeps her into a crushing hug.

"I never thought of you like that. We do not choose our lineage or our parents, and I had about as much say in my station in life as you did." Lucina pulls back, cupping Severa's face again, thumb gliding over the curve of her cheekbone. "And I care not what yours or mine are, because we forfeited them the moment we stepped into Naga's portal. 

"I haven't. I still think of you as my princess." 

"And I as well consider you my knight." 

Severa's breath catches. "I..." The flush on her face seems to have deepened. She freezes for a long moment before sighing like she's giving up and gently looping her arms around Lucina's neck. She settles into Lucina's chest with her nose tickling the princess' throat. Lucina isn't quite sure what is happening now, but it looks prospectively good.

They sit in the quiet for a while before Severa sits back a little and meets Lucina's eyes. "Look, I have no idea how to feel about you now, but I wouldn't say no to a date to find out." Her face is practically on fire now. "If you want to ask or something." 

Lucina's stunned. She catches herself quickly. “Then, would you like to come here tomorrow night with me?”

“As long as we get to watch a different play. The best part of the last one was the obnoxious lead with the bad wig getting stabbed.” 

“I think it was supposed to be a tragedy.”

Severa snorts. “Tragically terrible, yes.” She glances at Lucina, and nervousness crosses her face. “So, how do I start dating my best friend?”

Lucina smiles. “I don't know. I'm just finding out myself.” 

Severa makes a gentle humming noise. The boat falls silent for a few comfortable moments under the moonlight as it glides across the inky surface of the lake. “How long have you been in love with me?”

“Umm....do you remember when we first met?”

Severa's eyes widen. “Since we were five? Gawds, Lucina! Why didn't you say anything?”

“I hadn't recognized the feeling as love.” Lucina glances shyly at her friend. “Until recently.” 

“Uh...” Severa seems unable to speak coherently. “W-What changed your mind?”

Lucina glances out into the water. “We were separated for two years when we came to the past, and I was by myself for the most part. I had plenty of time to think about my companions and how far we came together. And I had plenty of time to think about you.” She sighs. “I was in half a panic all the time. I had thought that something had happened to all of you.” 

Severa grabs her hand and squeezes. She always seems to have an instinct on how to comfort Lucina. “Stop that. We're all here now.” She seems to realize what she's done and lets go quickly. "We should probably get back and talk more about this on land." 

By the time they paddle back to the dock, they spot Kjelle, Noire, and Cynthia waiting on it with streamers and a congratulations banner. Owain is somehow holding a cake. Noire rushes forward to throw herself at a startled Severa and give her a hug.

Her cousin cheers. “You're together! ...right?” He scuttles a few paces away when Severa glares at him. "Uh... I had a nice time tonight, but I don't think it's going to work out." 

Kjelle steps between him and Severa. "Stop that. He's been helping out since the start. He was the one who noticed Lucina's affections first and suggested we do something." She glances at Lucina who feels her face grow hot under her gaze. "And it seems to have worked," she smirks. 

Severa throws her hands up in frustration. "You came up with some hare-brained scheme to bring us together instead of talking about it like grown-ups?"

Kjelle looks sheepish. "It was a collective idea. We weren't kidding when we said that you've been crankier than normal, Severa. And we wanted to help Lucina out."

Lucina steps forward. "Why did you not tell me about this plan?"

Owain shakes his head. "No offence, cousin, but you would have thought it too deceiving and just straight-up told Severa how you felt." 

Lucina winces. "Which I did anyway, and it had not gone as I would have hoped. Initially, at least." She shoots a sideway smile at Severa, who sports a light blush. 

Kjelle sighs, “Our plan almost got ruined, because you can't keep it in your pants when it comes to Severa.”

Lucina grimaces. “It's not quite like that.”

Kjelle rolls her eyes. “If it were any more obvious you got the hots for her, your loins would be on fire.” 

If that were the case, Lucina imagines that her loins would probably resemble her face right about now. 

"Hey, yeah...so back to the conversation and not on Lucina's loins." Severa crosses her arms. "Did you think of this yourself?"

Noire shakes her head. She fidgets. "It was mostly Nah, though we did ask Robin too to help craft the plan."

Ah. They asked the royal tactician. No wonder it was ridiculously convoluted. 

Cynthia yells, "I didn't know! Why didn't you let me in on it?"

Kjelle replies, "Because you would have told Lucina about it in three seconds flat." 

The pegasus knight scowls. "I can keep a secret!"

No one makes eye contact with her. 

Noire clears her throat. "Anyway, you two probably want to be alone together. We'll leave you with this cake and get going." 

Severa glances at Lucina. "I think I'm pretty much done for the night."

Lucina replies. "As am I." She takes a breath for courage and reaches out to gently grasp Severa's hand in hers. "I think that I would like to go back to the camp, and spend the rest of the evening talking to you."

Severa breaks out into a rare, genuine smile. "I'd like that too."

 

***  
**Epilogue**

Severa comes back to her tent to fetch something only to find her parents waiting there. She glances nervously at Frederick and Cordelia, and wonders if it would be unladylike to run screaming from her tent.

Cordelia smiles. “We heard that you and Lucina are courting now.”

...for all of twenty minutes. How quickly does news travel in this camp? Sheesh.

Her mother and father hug her tightly. Frederick says, “Dating the future Exalt? We're so proud of you for living the dream we couldn't achieve.” 

What?

Ew!

“Too much information!” 

Severa shoves them away as she gets them away before a thought occurs to her. “Wait, if you two already know, does that mean Chrom knows?”

Somewhere in the camp, a distant roar is heard, and Severa feels a shiver crawl down her spine. It tells her to run.


	5. Small Town AU - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter set in the world of the first chapter. Lucina, the soccer star and captain, is asked by a reluctant Severa to train her, so she can join the team. Of course, Severa might have thought through that course of action more had she realized that Lucina has a crush on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fluff!

Severa huffs as she wipes the sweat from her eyes. Her lungs hurt.

Lucina stands in the middle of the grass field, watching her carefully. She taps on the soccer ball in front of it with her foot. “Can you continue?”

“Of course,” Severa scoffs and straightens up. “I could do this all day.” She's dying. 

Lucina smiles, dribbling the ball almost lazily between her feet. “Good. We'll have to train hard to get you up to speed with the others. Maybe every day for the next month or so.”

Severa thinks about Lucina's prediction. She seriously contemplates dying. “You know, I have a life outside of your soccer club.” 

“Which I wouldn't want to infringe upon, but you were the one who approached me about joining the team.”

The redhead huffs. She was. Damn, that principal was so good at manipulating her. She should take lessons. “Whatever, let's just get to practice.”

A small frown crosses Lucina's face, but she nods. “As you wish.” 

Lucina ruins her. By the end of the practice, Severa has run so many laps back and forth across the field that she barely made it out to her car without collapsing on her wobby legs. 

She pants against the top of her car, not bothering to get in yet. And of course Lucina shows up on the side of her car, looking not exhausted whatsoever. 

“Are you okay? You took off so quickly, I had to come after you to check on you,” Lucina says. There's a slight tinge of red to her cheeks, but it fades so rapidly that Severa wonders if she imagined it. “Was it something I said that made you leave?”

“No.” Severa ducks her head and reaches into her pocket to find her keys. “I'm just starving.” Which she is, but the real reason happened in the locker room where Severa turned her head to ask Lucina something, only to catch a glimpse of the long, lean muscles of the soccer star's back. She was out of there faster than Yarne faced with homework. 

Lucina's eyes scan her face. They almost seem to be searching for something before the captain nods and gestures to Severa's car. “Then may I suggest that we stop at Donnie's to grab something to eat? It's on the way to both of our homes.” A growl emanates from Lucina's stomach. “And...you may not be the only one who is hungry.”

Severa catches herself between a scoff and a snort. “I can drop you off there if you want.” Really, she has no intention of being seen eating with Lucina. She didn't want rumours to follow the taller girl like they did her. 

Lucina's expression falters slightly, but there's a determined glint in her eyes. “As your captain, I insist you eat. Especially when you barely have the energy to walk off the fields after training.” 

Severa flinches. So, she did see that. “You're not my mother.” Though honestly, Severa listens to Lucina more than her anyway. "And look, I already said no. Either take the ride or walk home." She hates how harsh she sounds. There's not a small amount of relief when Lucina doesn't seem to take offence at her tone and merely nods in response.

They get in Severa's car, and she backs out of the parking lot before swerving onto the main road leading to the centre of town. Lucina glances at her before fidgeting with the hem of her shirt for some reason. "What did you think of the training?"

Severa thinks of the drills. "Does everyone train like that?"

"No, but I was asked to evaluate your fitness level for the team." She coughs, and a slight flush courses across her cheeks. "You passed, by the way." 

"Oh, good. At least, all that suffering counted for something." Severa checks her side mirror before pulling over to the right lane. "Are we going to train in those uniforms too?"

"What's wrong with the uniforms?"

Severa looks at her out of the corner of her eye. "They're kind of...skimpy. Like they don't cover enough skin." 

Lucina glances at Severa before planting her gaze firmly on her feet. “The shorts did seem a bit small on you.” The tips of her ears have gone red, and Severa has no idea why. “Were you cold in them?” 

The tight, black spandex of the soccer team's shorts barely covered the tops of Severa's thighs. She was freezing. “I managed, but longer shorts would be nice.” And warm. Sheesh.

"I'll ask coach Gregor to order some new ones for the season." Lucina swallows, and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. Her voice drops to a whisper. "Though I thought you looked good in our current one."

Severa glances sharply at her passenger, who suddenly finds her dashboard fascinating. Was she...?

The large windows and bright blue walls of Donnie's Diner comes into view, and the pair lapse into silence as Severa parks the car in the quiet lot behind the restaurant. Severa kills the engine and waits for Lucina to leave while the tall soccer star stares at her knees as if trying to muster something from them. 

Severa's about to ask if she is all right when her captain blurts out, "Would you like to join me for dinner? I know you already said that you wouldn't, but it would be a pleasure to have your company."

Lucina talks so strangely sometimes. "Sorry, I got homework to do." Which she doesn't plan to finish. "And I don't think it's a good idea to spend more time together than necessary. You don't want people to think—"

There's an expression on Lucina's face that catches Severa off-guard and makes the redhead's body flush with guilt. It looks almost as heartbroken as the time Lucina's family found out that Owain wasn't coming home. 

“Oh, all right. But only if there's no one else there. And because you're forcing me,” Severa grumbles. She pretends her stomach isn't flipping from the happiness in Lucina's eyes. 

The taller girl scrambles out of the car and makes it to Severa's side to open it for her. Her cheeks flush, and her voice has a breathless quality to it that has the redhead feel like something in her chest is the one doing flips now. "Sorry, I just...I'm just really excited to eat with you."

Severa gives her an odd look before shrugging off the comment. "Yeah, sure." She fails to see what's so exhilarating about eating at Donnie's. "Let's just grab a seat in the corner somewhere."

To Severa's relief, the diner is quiet with a few patrons lazily finishing off the crumbs of their meals. 

The diner's owner and head chef greets a startled Lucina with a giant hug. He turns to give the same greeting to Severa, catches the redhead's expression, and settles for a smile instead. He doesn't seem intimidated by her. "You gals just missed the dinner rush, but I reckon there's still some grub left in the kitchen." He glances up at Lucina and whistles while she blushes. "And you've grown so big, Luci. How come you don't come around here no more?"

He glances at Severa. "Or are you too busy meeting ladies to catch up with old Donnie?"

"She's a prospective teammate for the school's soccer team," Lucina says, quickly. "And I'm sorry, Donnie. School and sports have been pretty hectic for a while that I forgot to visit."

Donnie waves her explanation. "It's fine. I know you're at that age where you've got other interests to pursuit." He winks at the other girl, and Lucina turns as red as Severa's hair. "Tell your ma and pa that I said hi, and especially tell that mother of yours to visit me more. She's nearly as bad as you," he laughs as he leads them to a secluded corner of the diner. He bids them goodnight to Severa's relief, and several minutes later, Yarne's mother comes up to them to take their orders with a scowl.

Severa crosses her arms and taps her fingers along her biceps as she waits for their orders. She's not sure what to say to the girl across from her now that they're out of school and practice. Lucina's eyes follow her fingers before darting up to Severa's face, her eyes roaming as if searching for something. It gets on Severa's nerves, and she snaps without thinking. "What?"

Lucina flushes slightly, but she meets Severa's gaze. "You're uncomfortable around me."

"I'm uncomfortable around everyone," Severa mutters, though she's not sure if Lucina heard her. "It's a free country. I can act however I want."

"I don't dispute that, but if we are going to be on the same team, I want you to be okay when you're talking to me. I'm just...I'm just a girl like the others." 

Severa scoffs. "You? Miss Perfect?" The redhead would consider herself lucky if she was half as skilled as the dirt on Lucina's high-tops. "I don't think you've noticed, but you're kind of like the top student in the school. You're a big deal."

Lucina winces. She looks sad. "You're quite smart yourself, Severa. I don't know why you act like you're not."

The redhead's eyebrows shoot into her hairline. "What would you know about that?"

"I hear my mother talk about you sometimes. She sees a lot in you and says that you're the kind of girl who'll make a big impact one day."

The principal thinks that about her? Severa has trouble believing that, but there's something about Lucina's expression that has the redhead trusting that her words are true. 

"She also mentioned that you're suddenly interested in the soccer team, though I don't really know why." Lucina's gaze has a hard glint to them, and Severa finds herself sitting up straighter. "I've heard you say that you'll never join any club, so I'm interested to hear the change of heart."

Severa rubs her neck. "It's not a big deal or anything." She wants to lie, but her mouth opens and spews out her words without her consent. "Your mom just pointed out that if the soccer team makes the nationals, there's a good chance that the members will get scouted by some good colleges and offered a scholarship."

Lucina looks stunned. Her voice goes quiet. "So, you're looking to leave here."

"Of course! Do you want to stay in the middle-of-nowhere?"

"I suppose not." Lucina glances down at her fingers. That heartbroken expression comes back onto her face, and Severa's not even sure what she did. "Where were you thinking of going?"

"I'm not sure yet. I just..." Severa just wants to go.

They are interrupted by a grumpy Panne slamming down two plates of the house's special in front of them, and Lucina digs into her food without looking at Severa. The redhead joins in, feeling as if she's messed up terribly but not really knowing why.

They finish the meal in silence, pay in silence, and somehow, Severa ends up driving Lucina home, though she doesn't know why or how. It just feels like she did something to hurt Lucina, and she needed to do something to make up for it. She glances at her passenger, who seems determined to stare out the window and avoid conversation. It's only when they arrive in front of Lucina's house that Severa finally gets the nerve to grab Lucina's arm before she's out the car. She has to say something to make that sad look go away.

"Hey, look. Just keep what I said between us. It's not public knowledge quite yet, if you know what I mean." At Lucina's nod and blank stare, Severa continues on. "And I like talking to you. You're not an idiot and—" Oh gods, Severa, how are you messing this up so fast? "—and I'd to spend more time with you. Outside of school, I mean." 

"Before you leave, you mean?" Lucina's expression is unreadable, but her tone is soft. "I'd like that too." She glances at where Severa is touching her arm and sighs. She slips back into the car and leans towards Severa, whose breath catches. "But you should know that I like you more than just as a possible teammate and friend."

What? 

Oh.

Severa's mind goes blank. She's absolutely useless.

She doesn't know if Lucina catches on that she is, but her former passenger shakes her head and brushes her lips against Severa's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." 

The redhead can only nod dumbly in response while Lucina leans back out and closes the car door, crossing her paved driveway to make it into her house. She glances back for a long while at Severa before closing her front door. 

All that Severa can do is sit in her car and wonder what she's gotten herself into.


	6. Small Town AU - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucina deals with the aftermath of her confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, heck. I'll just make the Small Town AU its own story after this.

Lucina spends ten minutes hyperventilating behind the safety of her front door. 

She hears the hum of Severa's car pick up and fade away, and the trembling girl brushes at her hair, her hand coming away with sweat from touching her forehead.

What was she thinking confessing to Severa Faulkner like that?

She leaps up the stairs just to the right of her and calls back a response at her brother's confused holler. It sounds like he was in the living room, but Lucina shies away from speaking to him right now. She just needs to talk to someone who can sort out the mess in her head.

Lucina brushes past the landing on the second floor, past her family's bedrooms, and up a short flight of stairs that led to the attic where she slept. Her father had thought she would appreciate the privacy of her own space and moved her there a year ago after her mother took over renovating the space after he punched a plate-sized hole in the side of a wall.

Lucina moves into her room and quickly locks the door behind her before sinking down into her bed beside the door. She fishes through her pockets for her phone before pulling it out and dialing her best friend's number.

Cynthia picks up on the second ring and cheers into the phone. “Hey, Lucina! Great timing. Mom and I just finished closing the bakery. Want to come over and watch the latest Shadowgift movie on my laptop? Your aunt's in it.”

Lucina winces. She wasn't quite in the mood to watch Aunt Aversa screech and pout in her typical dramatic flair, although it apparently won her an award. “Not at the moment. I need to tell you about what happened with Severa after practice.”

“Of course, something happened.” Cynthia's tone is flat. “Did she insult you?”

“No, nothing like that. She—”

“Geez, why do we even need her on the team? You and I are fast enough to take on any team on our own.”

“We need an additional person, and you've seen Severa sprint before.” Both Cynthia and Lucina had caught an irate Severa bolting after a howling Yarne in the fields behind the school, because....what was even happening then? Neither Yarne nor Severa ever brought up the incident. “Her speed would be useful in addition to her natural aggression.”

“That's the thing! She's, like, too aggressive. She mocks me every single chance she gets. Oh, and she's anti-social. And she's mean.”

“Cynthia.” Lucina runs a hand through her hair slowly. “She's not as bad as you think she is.”

“Of course you wouldn't think that. Not with the massive crush you have on her mom.”

“I don't—” Lucina's lucky that it's not a face-to-face conversation. “—Miss Faulkner is just really passionate at explaining the various poems of famous writers.” She changes the subject. “I just had dinner with Severa.”

“...why?”

“I wanted to get to know her better, and dinner seemed like a good idea.” She thinks about Severa's revelation and bites her lip. “Cynthia, I should tell you that—”

“Please don't tell me you have a crush on Severa.”

“...the rest of this conversation will be short then.”

There's a long pause. “Really, Lucina? Severa? After everything she's said to me? To you? After Owain—”

“That wasn't her fault.” Lucina's voice comes out sharp and high. 

“Yeah, but after everything that's happened, it's like she's cursed. Who knows? Maybe if she wasn't the one that walked by the river—”

“She didn't do anything! It was—” Lucina's throat closes up, and she lets out a choked sound. “Please don't talk about him,” she asks, quietly. “Please.”

“Oh my gods. I'm sorry, Lucina.” Cynthia's voice comes out in a whisper. “I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry that I brought him up. And I'm sorry about what I said about Severa. If you think that she's good for the team, I'll deal with it.” The next set of words are grumbled. “I'll take one for the team.” 

The soccer captain lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. “Thank you.” She clears her throat. “I...I should go.”

“Lucina—”

“It's fine, Cynthia. I just need some space right now.” Lucina hangs up the phone, despite another round of apologies from her friend. She drops her face into her hands and lets out a sigh. She didn't even mention confessing to Severa to her.

Her phone rings again, and Lucina ignores it. She heads downstairs and makes her way into the living room on the first floor. Her younger brother is lying on his belly some distance from the couch with his math textbook in front of him, his brows furrowed in concentration. He glances up when she enters and yawns in greeting.

“Hey, Lucina.” He runs a hand through his perpetually messy hair. “You're home late.”

“I was having dinner with someone. Did you get something to eat yet?”

“I made some cereal.” He shrugs. “I'm still banned from the stove after I set eggs on fire.” 

He, unfortunately, inherited all of his cooking skills from their dad. “Morgan, I can—”

“It's fine, Sis. I can handle myself.” He rolls onto his back and glances up at her upside down. “So, what's up with you and your date?”

Lucina starts. “I never said it was one.”

He grins at her, slyly. “No, you did not.” He flips himself back to his front. “But you didn't deny it either.”

Little brothers can be so annoying. “It wasn't a date.”

“Then, why are you in so much denial?”

Very annoying. “Morgan—”

The sound of the front door opening catches their attention. 

“Is that Mom?” Morgan frowns. “It's too early for Dad to come home.”

Their mother pops her head into the doorway. “Hey guys, good to see you home. Did you have dinner yet?” When both Lucina and Morgan affirm her answer, she continues. “Good, I'll make seomthing for your father and I. You're welcome to join in if you get hungry later.”

“Wait, Mom!” Lucina follows their mother into the kitchen situated near the front door. “I just wanted to let you know that I finished my first training practice with Severa Faulkner.”

“Oh?” Her mother shrugs off her dark coat and sets her purse on the kitchen table. “How'd it go?” 

“She's fit enough to join. And she learns really quickly.” 

“I suspected as much.” Her mother pulls out broccoli along with some chicken breasts from the refrigerator. “Thank you for taking her on, honey. I know you're really busy, and I'm glad that you're taking some time out of your schedule to help your classmate.”

“It was my pleasure.” Lucina thinks of Severa running in her tiny soccer shorts. She flushes. “I mean, I enjoyed teaching her.” 

Her mother glances sidelong at her. A faint smile pulls at a corner of her mouth. “I see. Well, then, do take care to not let her distract you too much from your homework.” She walks to the far end of the kitchen and fishes an onion from the pantry. “Your father called me and wanted to mention that he'll be home late again.”

“He's always home late,” Lucina mutters under her breath. The glance her mother cast over her shoulder means that she heard her. Oops.

“Lucina, is something the matter?” Her mom slowly puts the ingredients down on the kitchen island between them. 

“It's just...Dad's almost never home.” Lucina can recall the rare moments when he returned home before she was asleep. 

Her mother's eyes flicker. “He's been working on a long case, and I know it's not fair that he doesn't spend any time with you or Morgan. Ever since—” She glances at Lucina and seem to change her mind on whatever she was about to say. “He does love you both. He's just very close to cracking a case that's going to protect everyone.”

“But it's been years on the same case. Maybe I can help.”

“Lucina, you are 16. Even if you were allowed to help, legally, you're not supposed to. No one but your father and his deputies are allowed on the case.” Her mother's flicker in annoyance. “Even I'm not allowed to assist him.” 

Lucina runs her hands through her hair. She bites down hard on her lip. “I just wish I could do something. I wish he was here.” 

Her mother gathers her daughter into a hug. She looks sad. “He will be. Just be patient, Lucina.” 

They part, and Lucina helps her mother make dinner though she's not hungry. She later makes her way to her bedroom and locks the door behind her, crossing the large rainbow rug in the middle of the room to reach her aging bookshelf on the other side of the room. She reaches into a favourite childhood book about talking rabbits and pulls out a faded yellow card made of construction paper. 

She opens it, gazing on the purple, blue and red splashes of round balloons above a scrawl wishing her happy birthday in serious, painfully penned letters. Lucina still opens it from time to time, a birthday card Severa gave to her when they were still friends. She hadn't known that it was the last gift she would receive from her. She didn't know that in the following week, Severa would find Owain in the river.

And she didn't expect that it would be the last time Severa would speak to her as a friend.

Lucina shakes her head, shoves the card and the memories back into her book. She leaves her bookshelf to sit at her adjacent desk, flipping open the math textbook on her desk. She can worry about what to do with Severa tomorrow when she sees her in school.  
___

 

Severa isn't in class, which does not totally surprise Lucina but her absence leaves something heavy in the worried girl's throat. Cynthia spends the entire day apologizing, and Lucina has to ask the forlorn girl to stop halfway through chemistry class. The misery is short-lived as Miss Faulkner introduces a new transfer student from Rosanne with a brooding demeanour, broad shoulders, and a face that made most girls in the class gape in awe. 

Cynthia elbows her in the side as the transfer student takes a seat on Lucina's left. “Oh my god, he's so hot! Miss Faulkner said his name is Gerome, right?”

Lucina shoots her an annoyed look before shifting to greet the new student. Who's already staring at her. “Welcome to Ylissetol. I'm Lucina.” She holds out her hand to him, and he blinks at it before grunting and taking it.

“Gerome.” His voice is deep and raspy. Lucina thinks she heard the girls behind her sigh. “My transfer got delayed, which is why I arrived in the afternoon.”

“No worries. You arrive just in time for an interesting English lesson.” She smiles at him, and the corners of his lips flicker upwards. 

Cynthia takes this moment to lean across Lucina's desk and introduce herself. “Hi! I'm Cynthia! Lucina's friend? I think your hair looks really amazing!” 

She's loud enough that Miss Faulkner has to turn around and shush her. “Cynthia, if you could please sit up straight?”

Gerome frowns and snaps back to the front, ignoring the whispers around the class that bleed into the silence. Cynthia pouts, and Lucina rolls her eyes before pushing her friend back into her seat. 

The taller girl whispers to her disappointed friend, “Class is more important than staring at someone you find attractive.”

“Easy for you to say when you get to stare at your crush all class.” Cynthia raises her eyebrows towards the teacher, and Lucina feels heat flood across her face. 

Lucina snaps back. “She's not my crush.” 

“Uh-huh. Because you have a thing for her—”

To make things worse, Miss Faulkner turns back and tilts her head back at the embarrassed girl. 

“Miss Flynn? Do you have a question about Priam's use of iambic pentameter?”

Lucina shakes her head. “No, Miss Faulkner. Please carry on.” 

“Good. Miss Baxter, could you please stop disturbing Lucina and take notes? There'll be a quiz at the end of the week about the different meters used in the first five stanzas of Priam's _The Radiant Hero_.”

A heavy groan from the class answers her, and a chorus of protests rise up to which Miss Faulkner answers with a gentle smile and a clear, commanding explanation. Lucina glances to her left again only to see Gerome whip his head away again, a tinge of red on his cheeks. She doesn't have time to think about that particular detail when Cynthia jostles her elbow and gestures to her notes. 

Funny how Lucina was doing that to her friend just a few moments earlier.

They leave English class with Cynthia pulling her down the nearest deserted hallway to talk about the new transfer student. Lucina glances back at the classroom and sees Gerome gazing after them, shifting his feet uncertainly before turning and heading down the opposite direction. She can't help but feel that Cynthia missed a chance there.

Cynthia finally finds an empty stairwell and opens her mouth partway when Lucina cuts in. “I'm worried about Severa.”

The shorter girl rolls her eyes but manages a look of slight concern. “Relax, Lucina. She's always skipping. We'll probably see her sometime next week.”

Lucina bites her lip. “Yes, but I'm worried about this particular day, because yesterday evening... I told her that I liked her.”

Cynthia's eyes almost pop out of her head. “WHAT? Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?”

“Shhh! Keep your voice down.” 

“Sorry! Sorry!” Cynthia's bouncing with excitement. She looks genuinely exhilarated for her friend. “What did she say?”

“She didn't say anything. Just sat in her car and watched me leave.”

“Tch, typical Severa. Always has to act cool.” Cynthia frowns. “Wait, you think she's avoiding you because of that?”

“She may be.” Lucina doesn't meet her gaze. There's fear twisting in her chest and nausea growing in her stomach. “Maybe she doesn't feel the same.” 

“Of course, she does! Have you seen how she looks at you?”

“...have you?”

“Well, no. But you're Lucina! She'd like you as a friend at the very least.” 

Lucina winces at the words. She knows Cynthia means well. “I'm hoping that she'll turn up to practice later, and then I can talk to her.” 

“And then you'll win her over by asking her on the best date of her life!”

Lucina smiles. “Here's hoping.” She glances at a clock down the hallway from them. “We need to head to class. I'll tell you how it goes later?”

Cynthia pouts. “You'd better. I”m not ready to give up my best friend spot to Severa just yet.”

“You'll always be my best friend.” Lucina hugs her. “And of course. I'll keep you in the loop.”

They part ways, and Lucina heads to her biology class that she shares with Severa though she doubts that she would show up. She's proven right when she arrives, and goes back to trying not to poke at the bundle of worry in her stomach.

The redhead doesn't show up until her scheduled training time with Lucina, and it's with clear relief that the soccer captain receives her scowling classmate.

“What are we doing today?” Severa says in lieu of a greeting.

“Good afternoon to you too,” Lucina replies. “I wasn't sure if you were going to show up.”

“Of course, I'm going to show up. I want to make the soccer team.” Severa grumbles, pointedly looking away from Lucina. She's wearing longer black shorts that's not part of the team's uniform. They're still just as tight though. “So, let's get to it. What are we doing?”

“Dribbling.” Lucina gestures to the field. “I've set up several rows of cones for you to weave around.”

Severa arches an eyebrow. “Seriously? This is so dumb.”

Lucina frowns. “Dribbling is a basic skillset. If you can master this, we can move on to more techniques.” 

“Fine.” Severa steps up to the first cone in the leftmost row. She doesn't meet Lucina's eyes. “Let's get this over with.”

They finish the practice with Lucina being reasonably satisifed with Severa's dribbling skills and giving her approval to work on new things the next day.

“You're much better than you give yourself credit for,” Lucina says to Severa's grumbles that she knocked over too many cones. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd played before.”

Severa jerks and turns around at that. She begins to leave the field. “Whatever. See you, Lucina.”

“Severa!” Lucina steps forward to grab her arm without thinking. “There's something I would still like to talk about.”

She receives an annoyed glare while Severa yanks her limb back. “We're already done practice.”

“It's not about that.”

Severa stops. She takes a long time to turn around. “Then, what is it about?”

“After you drove me home. I told you that—” Lucina feels her words slip out of her mouth. From the way her heart is beating, she might be the youngest person in the town's history to have a heart attack. “I like you. A lot more than a friend would.”

“Oh, that.” Severa rolls her eyes. “Great prank, Lucina, but it's kind of tasteless. I mean, you don't need to make fun of me like that.”

Make fun of her? “Why would you think that?”

Severa just looks at her. “Because you're you, and I'm me. The thought of you liking me is a joke.”

Lucina flinches. There's a tearing pain in her chest. “You think it's laughable that I might like you?” She blinks and is surprised to feel something wet in her eyes. “That my feelings are real?”

“You're a good actress.” Severa tries to scoff, but there's a look of alarm on her face. “Lucina, don't cry. That's practically cheating.” There's something like guilt darting across her expression before anger overtakes it, and she snarls, “Look, I don't need your pity.” 

Pity? Is that what she thought it was?

Lucina shakes her head. “It's not pity. I just want to be friends.”

“Clearly, you want to be more if what you said yesterday is anything to go by.” Severa eyes her. It's not without some measure of appreciation. “But that's a terrible idea.”

Lucina feels something in her chest drop to her feet. “Why?”

Severa makes an annoyed sound. “Are you being daft? Do you know what everyone says about me?”

“What does that have to do with me liking you?”

The redhead makes a noise of disgust. “Because people gossip in this stupid town, and I don't want them to gossip about you too!”

Lucina stares at her. “You care.” 

“Oh my gawd! Did you not understand me? About people whispering behind your back too?”

Lucina keeps her gaze on Severa. Her tone is soft. “I understand you perfectly.” She touches Severa's hand gently. The redhead flinches but doesn't draw away. “Severa, I don't care what anyone says about me as long as I get to know you. And it's not going to ruin my reputation just to be seen with you.” 

“You clearly don't know what it's like here,” Severa mutters. She doesn't draw away. 

Lucina takes that as a chance to clasp her hand. “Maybe. But I do know that I would like to know you.” 

Severa closes her eyes. Her lashes flutter. Lucina feels a strong urge to kiss them. “No."

"...excuse me?"

Severa opens her eyes. "No, Lucina. Or was that too hard for you to understand? That people hate me in this damn town, and they love you. And that people say that I'm easy, I don't have morals, I'm bad luck, I'm going nowhere in life, I'm a terrible—”

Lucina loses her temper. Mostly because she's afraid of Severa going on. “I don't care! I just want to know you from you. Not whatever everyone says about you!”

Severa snarls. “So, what are you going to do when you do find out what I'm really like? That I'm just like everyone—”

“I'm going to find out the truth about you! And then, I'll like you more!” She leans in, and she swears she sees Severa blush. "I'm not going anywhere until you give me a chance."

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

“We'll go somewhere nice after practice tomorrow!” Severa whips around and stalks off, which prompts Lucina to do the same. 

They both storm away from the field, and it's not until she's a ways down the main road from the school that Lucina realizes that she's gotten the first date of her life by yelling at the girl she had a crush on for years.

She's completely doing this dating thing wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, if you won't give me a drink, then at least give me your number!"
> 
> Drunk Severa is so much smoother than her sober counterpart.
> 
> [Modern AU - Club night]

Kjelle drags a very single Severa to the bar that night to celebrate Noire's engagement. "You're the only person who hasn't found anyone."

"Fuck you, I'm busy."

"Yes, yes, with all your successful lawyering." Kjelle rolls her eyes. "So, how much tail have you been getting with your job title, Miss District Prosecutor?"

Severa glares at her and yanks her arm out of her friend's grip. "Busy," she mutters as they make their way past a towering bouncer wearing a mask for some reason. "Like I have time to go out and chase idiots."

"Which means 'haven't been laid since college.'" Kjelle ducks the blow Severa swings at her head. "We'll fix that tonight. We'll get a few drinks in you, and find a pretty thing for you to play with."

"Ew. Do you even hear yourself sometimes?" Severa complains as Kjelle steers them towards the bar and gestures for a gorgeous, dark-haired bartender to give them a few shots. The dark blue of one eye contrasts with the bright green of her left one, and it takes Severa a moment to realize that the girl has heterochromia, which does nothing to help Severa stop fumbling over her tongue around her.

"Nope. Bottom's up!" Kjelle clinks a tumbler full of whiskey against the one in Severa's hand. The first two scorch their way down Severa's throat, which she chases with lime and maybe a bottle of beer. The attractive bartender glances at them, amused, as Severa squabbles with Kjelle about whom to approach.

"That girl looks like she has low standards. She'll probably be open to talking to you," Kjelle suggests.

"Fuck you!"

"You wish." Kjelle grabs her arm and pulls her towards a pretty blonde in a red dress. Severa stumbles forth in her heels, which are already killing her. "C'mon, Miss Hotshot. Let me see your persuasion skills."

Said persuasion skills disappear pretty quickly in the gaze of an interested girl whose expression grows bored and disappointed when Severa stutters over her words and her shoes. 

Kjelle slaps her on the shoulder and nearly sends Severa flying. "Next time, friend."

They head back to the bar and order more drinks, the bartender from before casting glances at Severa who feels blood rushing to her face, though that might be the alcohol. They talk next to a redhead who seemed fond of groping, a couple looking for someone to join their threesome, and a pair of twin girls who didn't speak English. Over the course of several trips back and forth between the bar and the dance floor, Severa loses Kjelle to the twins and curses at her horny friend. She is not going to awkwardly stand by herself by the dance floor. Fuck this shit, Severa's going home, but not without a drink first.

Severa stumbles to the bar and holds a bill that might have been a twenty to the concerned bartender's face. "Give me a Jager Bomb."

The bartender shakes her head, spilling pretty strands of dark hair over her shoulders. "I'm cutting you off." She begins pouring a glass of water for Severa, takes a look at the reddened girl's face, and pours several more. 

Severa throws up her hands. "Fine! If you're not going to give me a drink, at least give me your number!"

She realizes a few seconds too late what she said. The bartender stares at her, open-mouthed while the water overflows past the brim of the glass she's holding. The surprised girl lets go and jolts back while Severa whirls and streaks towards the nearest exit, because, fuck, her stupid mouth embarrassed her beyond belief now and, gods, she can't go back to her favourite club for a while. She likes this club.

Severa hurls herself out of exit and collapses against a brick wall on the other side of the alleyway. She gasps and heaves while her vision swims, and she inhales the scent of rotting garbage that sobers her up quicker than a slap to the face. She totters her way towards the mouth of the alley when the exit door opens behind her, and that beautiful bartender from before peeks her head out, frowning when she spots Severa and making her way towards her. Severa tries to hobble away faster.

"Let me help you." The pretty bartender slides a hand onto Severa's lower back while the other draws Severa's arm around the taller girl's warm shoulders. "I'll call you a taxi." 

"Uh...no, I came with a friend." Severa wracks her brain for her name. "I'll be fine."

The other girl arches an eyebrow and continues to help Severa towards the mouth of the alley. "What's your name?"

"Severa." The stunned girl realizes that she's too drunk to remember to use her fake name. "Yours?"

"Lucina. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Severa snorts. "I'm sure lugging my drunken ass out of this alley has been a pleasure." 

"Well, meeting you was..." Lucina glances at her before looking away. She coughs, a tinge of pink across her cheeks. "That's a beautiful dress, by the way." 

Severa mutters something. She's not sure as they burst out onto the empty sidewalk, and Severa can breathe something other than rotting food and who knows what else. "Thanks." She tries to disentangle herself from Lucina's limbs, only to trip and stumble into Lucina's chest. Her face flares, and there's no way she could be even more embarrassed. "I've got it from here." She fishes out her keys from her bra and looks around in confusion when she can't recall where she left her car.

"I can't let you drive home like this. I'll call you a taxi." Lucina pulls out her phone out of her pocket and dials. Severa's relieved that someone else's taking care of it and absurdly grateful. She leans against the storefront behind her when Lucina finishes and turns to her, pulling out a piece of paper with a string of numbers on it and handing it to the stunned redhead. 

Severa stares, dumbstruck. "What is that?"

"My number." The bartender turns a shade of red that matches Severa's hair. "Did you want it?"

"WHAT?" Severa slaps a hand over her mouth. "I mean yes!" She coughs. "I mean yes." She says in a flatter tone, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

Lucina smiles, not looking very fooled. She glances at Severa's face, frowns slightly, and asks for her phone. Severa hands it over and watches Lucina punches her number into her phone, feeling something fluttering in her stomach all the while. Lucina presses the call button and a second later, her own phone lights up with Severa's call. She hands back the redhead's phone. "Now, I have your number too." 

"Uh-huh," Severa comments intelligently. 

Lucina looks at Severa, blushes, and glances at her feet. "I had been thinking about how beautiful you looked all night."

"Umm...yeah." Severa's tongue feels like it's sticking to the roof of her mouth. She's lucky that Lucina doesn't seem turned off by inarticulate women. "So, I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that'll be good." Lucina glances at her and blushes again. When the taxi finally pulls up, she practically leaps into the street to open the door for Severa, who hobbles forth on throbbing feet and hated heels and brushes against Lucina as she climbs into the taxi. Severa gives her address to the taxi driver and turns to Lucina who looks at her with concern and reaches out to tuck a wayward lock of hair behind the redhead's ear. "Take care of yourself tonight?"

Severa looks at the empty seat next to her and back at Lucina. "I'd prefer it if you'd care of me tonight instead."

\--

Severa wakes up in the morning and freaks out at the sight of an attractive woman murmuring in her sleep on her couch outside of the hungover woman's bedroom. She takes a few minutes to recall the events of last night and nearly slaps her forehead in exasperation when she remembers that Lucina came over to her apartment to literally take care of her before resigning herself to the couch.

"Gods, I can't believe this girl." Severa kneels down in front of the dreaming woman, running an eye along her pretty features and mussed up hair. "Came over, got me to the washroom, and tucked me into the bed. And she doesn't even know me." She reaches out and traces a finger down the soft skin of Lucina's cheek while the sleeping girl smiles in her sleep. It's so freaking adorable.

Her phone buzzes, and Severa checks it to see a text message from Kjelle and an TMI photo of said friend with the twin girls from last night. The text told her that she saw Severa leave with Lucina last night followed with a smug "You're welcome."

Severa considers deleting her friend off of her contacts before sighing and making her way to her kitchen. Might as well thank her surprise guest with breakfast as a thank you for last night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severa recalls the first time she meets Lucina on Ylisse palace grounds and the reckless promise she makes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually the first part of a 17k one-shot I wrote last year set in the canon future. I'll have to get around to finishing it, polishing it up, and posting it up, and THEN I'll be able to get started on this idea of Severa being a grumpy potato researcher that's been itching in my veins.

Severa remembers meeting Lucina as a young girl at the castle just outside the stables. Her mother was showing off Starlight, the pegasus' beautiful silver-tipped wings catching the light of the noonday sun when the queen brings over a child dressed in trousers and a plain shirt with the Exalt's brand in her eye. 

Her mother sweeps the queen in a hug before the pair break apart with smiles on their faces. "It's been a while since I've seen you. Where is your youngest? I've heard talk of her."

The queen sighs and brushes back her hair. She's wearing royal jewelry along her neck and fingers, but acts as if they are burdens. "She's not doing well in her studies, so her tutors are holding her back until she finishes her work today. It's a shame. I would have liked to introduced both of them to little Severa." 

 

The girl that the queen brought stares at Severa unabashedly, a curious expression on her face while Severa feels her face go as red as her hair. 

"What are you staring at?" Severa barks, seeing the shocked expression on her mother's face and knowing immediately that she did something wrong.

The other girl seems unfazed. "You have pretty hair."

"Y-yeah? You too." Severa is suddenly fascinated with her feet. 

Her mother scolds her. "Severa, that is no way to talk to the princess." She sighs. "I'm sorry, Sumia. I've been trying to teach more tact, but my daughter is inclined to say the first thing that pops into her head."

The queen giggles. "That's fine, Cordelia. She reminds me of a certain pegasus knight when they were first starting out. Always suggesting ways to improve training without thinking about the others' feelings. You had increased training efficiency by 50% in your second week, though the others groused about it."

Severa sees her mother turn red, and she's amazed at the sight of her being embarrassed. "Yes, well. It seems I've come a longer way than I remember." She clears her throat. "Severa, this is Princess Lucina." 

Severa remembers her cue. She bows and says, "I'm honoured to meet you, your Highness." As people should say to royalty.

Lucina blinks at her while Sumia giggles behind her hand. The queen gently pushes forward her daughter. "Go on, Lucina." 

Lucina reaches out and clasps Severa's hands slowly. "Thank you." Her eyes study Severa with an intensity that makes the latter feel hot and flustered for some reason. It won't be the last time Lucina's gaze has that effect on her. 

 

Severa scowls, though she's not sure why. "Aren't princesses supposed to wear dresses?"

Lucina shakes her head. "I don't like dresses. They tear when I climb trees and explore the castle." Her eyes shine with a sudden light. "Do you want to go exploring with me?"

"Lucina, could you try to do that somewhere a little safer? Remember what happened last time when you decided that you wanted to see the roof firsthand?" the queen says.

Lucina glances down at her feet. "Ulster caught me before I climbed out the window."

"And I am blessed with two daughters still because he did." The queen smiles at Lucina and hugs her. "Honestly, sometimes, watching you will be the death of me." 

A knight comes jogging over, a hastily written message scrawled across a torn part of parchment. He bows frantically before the queen before thrusting the paper in Severa's mother's direction. 

Her mother frowns as her eyes dart over the paper. "Virion's troops encountered some trouble in the mountains. There are more mages than they thought." She shares a worried look with the queen before turning to Severa.

Her mother apologizes to her. "I have to go deliver a message to King Chrom while he's fighting in the west." Her eyes look mournful. "I'll be back, Severa." 

Severa watches her mother mount her pegasus and with a single, sad look at Severa's direction, her mother leans forward as the powerful wings underneath her launch both mount and rider skyward until they are only a dark speck in the sky. 

Severa watches her mother fly away.

It's not until the queen lays a gentle hand on her shoulder that Severa remembers that she's not alone, and the frantic girl wipes at her eyes. "She's one of the bravest and most loyal knights we have. I bet she's an amazing mother too. It's okay to miss her."

Severa scowls and juts out her chin. "I don't miss her! She can fight all the time for what I care!"

The queen smiles. She leans down to her, a kind expression on her face. "Like mother, like daughter, I see. A lot of trouble being honest about your own feelings." She sighs and stands back up. "I'm afraid that I do need to handle some dignitaries that have come to visit our castle. Why don't you two play together until we call you for dinner?"

Severa scowls. "Where would we play?" She tries to cross her arms as she had seen her father do, but the young princess by her side is already tugging on her hand to lead her to the far side of the courtyard. She looks back to see the queen waving with a smile on her face before talking to a tall, armoured man with brown hair who just arrived.

She runs into Lucina who stops just short of an oak tree. The princess turns to her, eyes gleaming. "Can you climb?"

Severa huffs, "Of course, I can!" She actually doesn't know if she can, but it's not like she's going to let her princess down.

She quickly finds out that she can't.

"This isn't fair!" Severa stamps her foot, huffing as she stares up at Lucina who is already several feet up and shrugging apologetically. "You're taller than me!"

"You have less weight to pull," Lucina points out, logically. "And you're fast." She pulls herself up another branch, swinging her legs gracefully. "You can do it."

Severa grits her teeth and throws herself at the tree again. She's tumbling down a minute later and lands hard on her rear, hearing the princess above her stifle a laugh. "This is stupid! I'm not doing this." She dusts herself off with as much dignity as her five-year-old self can muster.

Lucina gazes at her, tilting her head as if studying her. "I heard so many stories about Cordelia, the great pegasus knight. I wanted to see if you were like her." 

Severa's ears burn, and now she has to climb. "I'm not my mother!" But she reaches out towards the nearest branch and pulls herself up anyway.

She clambers to the top of the tree through sheer will alone, her hair in tangles and scratches along her arms and hands. Lucina peers down at her, waiting for Severa to reach her with a bright look in her eyes. She reaches down a hand to help Severa climb up to her. "I knew you could do it."

Severa pants, sweeping her sweat-soaked bangs out of her eyes. "How was this fun?"

Lucina smiles and points out across the courtyard. "Look." 

The sun is setting on Ylisse castle. It bathes it in a golden-red light that makes Severa uneasy for some reason, as if the castle is lit in flames. "So?"

"I'll take care of all that one day." Lucina peers into the distance, her expression thoughtful. "But I don't know how to do that."

Severa frowns. "Get your daddy to do it." 

Lucina laughs. "But I got to do it after him."

"I'll help you then."

The princess turns to her, her expression intent. "Will you?" A smile flickers on her face, but there's something sad in her eyes. 

Severa puffs out her chest. "My mama's a knight that protects the king. And I'm her daughter! I'll protect you too!"

"Is that a promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." 

Lucina holds her hand, and Severa grabs it. They look at each other, a strange intensity caught between their gaze that seems far too old for a pair of young children. "I'll do the same and more," Lucina remarks quietly while Severa lets go. 

Severa glances at the branches below them to the ground a staggering distance away. "So, how do we get down?"

Lucina peers down with her. "I don't know." 

Half an hour later when Severa's perfect mother comes back and has to rescue them from the tree, they take their time landing and instead fly around the palace with Lucina exclaiming and pointing out various features as she holds onto tightly to Severa's waist.

"That's the main fountain from here!" Lucina leans over Severa's shoulder, her breath tickling her ear. "And the royal library."

"You sound like you never seen these things from the air," Severa grumbles. "Wasn't your mother a pegasus knight?"

Lucina hesitates. "She never took me up here. She said it was too dangerous."

Severa's mother looks back. "A wise decision. Even as a former knight, she's especially vulnerable to aerial attacks from potential assassins."

"But you take me riding all the time!" Severa tightens her grip around her mother's armour. "Isn't it dangerous for me?"

Her mother smiles. "Yes, but you'll be a knight one day too, and I want to teach you the joys of being airborne while I can." 

But what if she doesn't want to be a pegasus knight? Severa wants to ask this question, but whenever she looks into her mother's eyes, she falters and drops her gaze. "I think we should go back down."

"I agree." Her mother pulls on the left rein, and Starlight tilts on one side and starts to spiral down into a landing. Severa feels the bottom dropping out of her stomach in fear and glee. "I look forward to what you have to show me when you're older."

Her mother was always so certain that Severa would follow in her footsteps.


	9. The Infamous Potato Research Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severa wonders why she became a potato researcher at a haunted facility when reason #1 invites her back to her room at the facility to discuss "research" and invites her to join her project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it. Wrote a chapter on a self-prompt about Severa being a disgruntled potato researcher. So, here is a crackfic about Severa working as a researcher at a haunted potato research facility. Romance included.
> 
> Also, legitimate research on potato research was done for this story.

At work, Severa stares through a glass window at high-tech machinery disinfecting a wooden potato crate for bacterial ring rot, and wonders where she went wrong with her life choices. 

Probably when she graduated at the top of her class in potato research, and very likely when she applied for a competitive, highly acclaimed position at the industry giant Exalt Corp.'s top secret facility. Most definitely when, in her undergrad, she opened a journal of revolutionary potato research results, only to find a picture of the daughter of Exalt Corp's CEO, and decided that she was going to change her major on the spot just to meet her.

Yeah, that was definitely it. Not that there aren't other benefits that called her like a siren to a sailor. 

The salary her employers are paying her is ludicrous. Severa is quickly racking up towards six figures in her bank account, which would be amazing if there was ANYTHING to spend her money in this desolate wasteland called Regna Ferox. Oh, she's tried to order online, but the shipping costs were exorbitant and the couriers often took six weeks on average to deliver her package to her. Mostly because they got lost trying to find the hidden potato research facility.

Her roommate, Noire, nods and shrugs helplessly when she vents. “But think of it, Severa. When your contract ends, you'll have enough to buy anything you want.”

“It's a three year contract,” Severa groans, covering her eyes, “and it's only been six months.” 

“Well, why did you apply here in the first place if you were going to be so unhappy?”

Reason #1 likes to eat her lunch by herself, working long hours in the lab, and testing a variety of tubers in heat tests, water tests, structure tests, and so forth. Severa has managed to mangle a handful of conversations as they pass each other in the hallway when Lucina has a moment to breathe between her meetings and her projects. Lucina is cordial, friendly, and a complete distraction when she walks into Severa's lab to observe her methodology one day.

Severa has been swabbing the wooden panels she had sent through the disinfecting machine when Exalt Corp.'s lead scientist enters through the white doors of her lab. Severa curses and nearly drops a swabbed sample before catching it and placing it in a vial containing three millimetres of Ringers solution. 

Lucina casts curious glances around the lab before striding over to Severa, her eyes scanning everything on the work bench. “What are you studying right now?”

Severa grunts, finishing the last of her swabs. “Clavibacter michiganensis subspecies sepedonicus.”

Lucina blinks. “Oh, ring rot bacterium.” She leans forward, a strand of hair escaping from her pony tail. “May I take a look?” she asks as her shoulder brushes Severa's, and Severa struggles to nod like a person and not a muppet.

A scientist should not be so hot. Where is Naga's mercy?

“Interesting. Only three millimetres of solution.”

Severa grumbles, “There's also some samples with one millimetre of solution to suspend them. I still need to plate them in duplicates on agar medium YGM and incubate them for 1-2 weeks at 20–23 °C to form colonies of the bacterium.” 

Lucina gazes at her. “Fascinating.” Her eyes flick down to Severa's mouth before coming back up to her eyes. “Would you care to discuss your research with me in further detail later?”

Ah, crap. “Is this an evaluation?”

“No! No.” Lucina tucks the stray hair behind her ear and glances down, taking a long breath. “More of a matter of personal interest. My quarters would be an adequate location for this discussion. Would you be able to meet me there at 8 o'clock tonight?”

Severa thinks she said yes. She likes to hope that she said words. Most likely, she nodded like an idiot while Lucina smiles at her, because, dear Naga, what is happening?

“Excellent. I'll see you then,” Lucina glances at her mouth again and bites her lower lip, “Severa.” 

Lucina turns and sweeps out of the lab while Severa gapes like a yokel at her exit. She later bombards her research assistant Brady with something that vaguely sounds like words when he comes in thirty minutes after Lucina leaves.

“Severa, breathe. Basic sentence structure is noun, verb, object. Now try that.” Brady yelps when she smacks his arm. “Hey! That's workplace harassment! I need to talk to the HR Coordinator about my feelings regarding this.”

“Oh, please.” Severa rolls her eyes. “You're just hoping to get into her pants.”

“Hey! I ain't Inigo. I like to court a lady real gentleman-like first.” Brady sits down and glances at a petri dish of their sample. “Unlike Lucina, who clearly wants to have ya in her bed.”

Severa hurls the book she was reading at him. “Ugh! We're just going to chat! About research!”

Brady stares at her. “In her room. Read between the lines, Severa. I know ya ain't that dense.”

Severa continues to freak out about the invitation with Noire, who watches her throw shirts and dresses from her stifling closet. “I have nothing to wear.”

Noire hesitates. “To be honest, if she did ask you out, I don't think you not wearing anything would bother Lucina.” 

“Geez, you too?” Severa spins around, holding a loose, billowy shirt with a low-cut front to her chest. “This makes me look blotchy, doesn't it?”

“Not really.” Noire shrugs. “It looks nice?”

“Tell me what you really think.”

“It looks like something Lucina might enjoy taking off.”

Severa ignores Noire's commentary for the rest of her search. She does end up with the billowy shirt that makes her look like a patchy shaved dog, because the tiny closet she is assigned to does not have enough space for anything more than two weeks worth of clothes.

As she heads out, Noire calls to her and runs up to give her a charm with three bells attached to it. “Careful if you're heading out to the main complex. That part's really old and is said to be—” She glances around. “Well, y—you don't want to get caught around there after midnight.”

Severa rolls her eyes. “Strict security, huh?”

“No. Ghosts.”

Huh.

“Y-yeah. My parents are paranormal investigators, and used to take me with them on their trips because I was very sensitive to the environment.” Noire rubs her charm. “Most of the time, it was harmless. The times when it wasn't...” She looks thoughtful before reaching into her pocket and handing Severa a small, clear bag filled with a white substance.

Severa backs away. “Uh...no thanks.”

“It's salt, Severa,” Noire says with an edge of exasperation. “Just draw a circle around you if you feel threatened.” 

Severa tentatively takes the baggie and places it into her pocket. “Um...thanks, Noire.” She heads down the hallway towards the main complex, travelling over the walkway bridges constructed between the facilities until she's in an older building with walls a dusty, gray colour. She slides her keypass at the card reader, and the doors creak to let her in. After about ten minutes of wandering down corridors that all look the freaking same, she turns into one that leads to Lucina's room and takes a breath at her door.

She knocks, the rapping of her knuckles echoing down the hallway like the blows of a hammer. If she wasn't already unnerved beforehand, that did not help. There's a shuffle down the hall on Severa's right, and she glances over. There's no one there.

Lucina opens her door. Her smile is replaced by surprise as Severa shoves her way in, putting as much space between her and the hallway as possible. “...you're pretty eager.” She glances at Severa and flushes slightly. “Though that's not a bad thing.”

“So, this is going to sound like a weird question, but is your hallway haunted?”

Lucina gives her a puzzled look. “Not at all. Well, at least this section of the corridor isn't. Although I would not advise anyone to go out wandering after midnight. We've had researchers go missing during late night rounds over the last few months.” 

Great. Severa really wished Exalt Corp. mentioned that she may have to work in an isolated, haunted potato research facility with poor shopping options when they advertised the position. Not that she would have hesitated much for a chance to meet the girl in the research journal.

Severa rubs at one arm. “In that case, if we end up talking a little longer than expected, do you mind if I stay over?” One bag of salt is not enough to convince her to go out there.

Lucina flushes and glances at the bed sitting at the side of the room. “I don't mind at all.” 

“I don't want to impose though. I can sleep on the floor or something.”

“...Severa, I'm absolutely all right with us sharing a bed.”

“Yeah, but—” Severa chokes on her words when Lucina sweeps in so close, she can feel heat from her through the thin fabric of her shirt.

Lucina places her hands on Severa's hips, and Severa internally screams in panic. “I really, really don't have any objections at all.” The fingers of one hand trace a path up Severa's shirt, stopping beneath her chest to rub at the fabric. “I like this, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Severa shrills. She clears her throat and says in her more usual octave, “I mean thanks. Just something I had lying around.” 

Lucina gazes at her and chuckles. “I'm sure.” She slides a hand onto Severa's bicep, interest sparking in her eyes. “And you're quite fit as well.”

Severa's voice shoots up several musical pitches. She thinks she went up a fourth. “The gym's a good way to burn off stress!” She nearly slaps herself. “I mean, the facility has an amazing recreational centre.”

Lucina nods. “Indeed. It has a portion of the first floor devoted to fencing.”

“Fencing?” Severa leans forward. “There are people who do that here?”

“Well, there's me, Inigo who works in Breeding, and my cousin Owain who's in the Physiology department.” She frowns, her thumb idly tracing circles on the inside of Severa's elbow. “Other than that, I don't know anyone else.”

Severa snorts, “Well, now you know another. I fence too.”

“Really?” Lucina's face lights up, as if every word Severa says makes her genuinely more interesting. “I would like to have a match with you sometime. How long have you been doing it?”

“Just a few years,” Severa grumbles. “It's not a big deal, and I'm kind of rusty.”

“Did you enter any competitions?”

“A few. I just have a couple of gold medals, nothing big.” Severa shrugs. “What about you?”

Lucina falters. “Oh. I might have a few trophies and awards somewhere.”

“A few? Like how many? Like enough to fill a room?”

Lucina looks away.

Oh dear god, Severa accepted a match invitation from a fencing grand champion. She wonders if it's too late to break her leg in an unfortunate accident involving the treadmill. “S-so moving on! Did you want to talk about research?”

Lucina's gaze wanders along the line of Severa's collarbone, her eyes dipping below. “Yes, how have things been going with the ring rot study?”

“Well, the samples still need to be incubated and cooked once the colonies are formed. After that, we need to add some DNA preparation—” 

Lucina's not paying attention if the way she's leaning in with her gaze caught on Severa's mouth is a sign.

Severa's not good with girls or the whole dating thing. She knows this, because she freaks and shoves Lucina backwards so hard that she lands on her bed, only for Severa to fall after her when Lucina grabs onto her arm in surprise. 

Severa shouts when her knee bangs against the steel frame of Lucina's bed, cursing up a storm until she realizes she's straddling a stunned Lucina, whose pupils are quickly expanding until there's hardly any blue in her eyes. She freezes.

Lucina exhales and places her hands on Severa's thighs. “You're more forward than I anticipated.”

Yeah, cause Severa totally meant to do this. “I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—”

Lucina's not listening if the way her hands run up Severa's sides is any indication. She loops her arms around Severa's neck, pulling her down until Severa can feel Lucina's breath against her lips.

The moment's broken by the muted clanging of what sounds like pots and pans banging together far down the hallway. Severa sits up, looking around. “What's that?”

“Ghosts,” Lucina growls. She places her hand behind Severa's neck and tugs her down again, only for the startled researcher to glance towards the door. “Severa, please. Concentrate.”

“Okay, but why are ghosts banging kitchen pans together?” Severa frowns at the sound. She gets off of the bed as Lucina whimpers. “Like is this place infested with the spirits of disgruntled cooks?”

Lucina stares up at the ceiling for a long moment before sighing and getting up. She sits up on her bed and tucks her legs under her, glancing out her window with her cheeks still flushed. “There had been some stories that the people using this facility before us had tried to investigate the ghosts while warding them away with charms like loud sounds. They vanished as well and, occasionally, we can still hear them in halls.”

So, the facility is also being haunted by the people who researched the ghosts.

Yup. Severa is going to need a pay raise for this. Or a much shortened contract.

Lucina sighs and rubs at her temples. “Don't let it disturb you too much. In fact, I find it soothing at times when I do my research.”

Severa turns towards her, aware that she completely screwed the moment. “And what are you researching right now?”

“How to transform potatoes into a clean energy source, since there's such a prolific amount of them.” Lucina rests her cheek against one upturn knee. “But the research is quite draining in itself, not including the opposition we are receiving in the scientific community from our corporate rivals, Grim Leel Inc.”

Severa sits on a chair near Lucina's desk, not trusting herself to be near the other woman. “Do you need any help with the work? I have a minor in computer sciences, though I don't know how useful that would be.”

Lucina shakes her head when she stops. Something comes into her eyes. “Depends. The work requires a lot of collaboration, which may entail some late-night debriefing.” Her eyes flicker. “Would you be okay with that?”

“Well, yeah. It sounds like an interesting project.” Severa taps her fingers along the desk behind her with Lucina watching the motion. “So, when I can start?”

A corner of Lucina's mouth tugs up. “Well, how do you feel about coming back here tomorrow night?”


	10. Severa and the Shapeshifter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severa keeps her mother's dying wish to find and protect a girl named Lucina--someone that her mother once knew. When she finds her, Severa realizes that protecting her is not the only reason why she wants to stay by her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is heavily inspired by the manga "To You, the Immortal." It has beautiful storytelling with likeable characters and elements of tragedy. It also breaks hearts. Read at your own caution.

Severa buries Cordelia beneath the elder tree in their hometown before leaving later that night. 

She slips out with the moonlight bright overhead, clearing out the remnants of her house into a knapsack full of her keepsakes and tools. At her side sits a blade that her mother crafted, a beauty of steel with its hilt engraved with the name of Severa's late father for protection. Cordelia's name joins it shortly, crooked letters carved into the metal with her mother's equipment, and Severa nearly retches from a wave of sorrow at the letters. She wishes she'd inherit some of Cordelia's skill if only to remember her more.

When the house with its wooden walls is silent and empty, Severa leaves a note for the other villagers to find in the morning before closing the door to her home for the last time. She makes it out into the surrounding hills without being spotted and climbs up into the brush, her mother's last request on a piece of parchment in her pocket. The words almost seem to burn through to her skin. 

Severa follows the road as per her mother's instructions on the parchment. The actual words Cordelia spoke on the day she died was little, having been replaced by chills and sweats, violent shaking that had Cordelia clawing at Severa's shirt while the latter shouts and hold her down on a bed, eyes stinging. When at last Cordelia settled down, she closed her eyes, and it was only a long time later with Severa waiting that she realized her mother would not open them again. She buried Cordelia the next day.

The land shifts and changes as she passes through it from plains and hills to mountains with thick trees and strange sounds from animals Severa did not want to meet at night. Every morning, Severa takes out her mother's last words to her and studies it, staring as if those few sentences could bring her mother back to life. Something sour and bitter rises in Severa's throat at the written request to find and protect a girl that Cordelia once knew, like Severa didn't have her own life and yet her mother was still commanding her from beyond the grave. But every time Severa takes out the parchment, she carefully rolls it up and tucks it back into her pocket before continuing on her journey anyway.

In the towns she passed, places of loud merchants and blacksmiths banging on glowing metals of copper and steel, she asks the innkeepers if they have heard of a girl named Lucina, a girl with a silver mark in her eye and a frightening sword. The innkeepers shake their heads and direct her to another town and then another. And then another. 

Severa's boots wear down, and she completes some mercenary work for coin to purchase a new leather pair. Her swordsmen partners are pleasantly surprised when they see that she can properly hold a sword and holler in awe when they spot her actually using it.

A grinning man named Gregor slaps her back, almost sending her a few steps forward. "You fight like beast! Like dog chasing after bitch in heat!"

Severa snarls, "Don't touch me!" She smacks his hand away and stomps forward to collect her reward from their leader.

Gregor frowns before a nervous, pink-haired woman whispers in his ear, and his eyes widen. "Oy! Little girl, come back! Gregor misspoke! Meant like wolf after deer for meat! Language not Gregor's strength!"

After ignoring her fellow mercenaries, Severa buys her boots and quickly leaves the town into the forest beyond. She marks her days and routes on a map she made, noting landmarks and towns that she passes. A few times, Severa wakes up in the middle of night and clambers quickly up a tree, squinting in the darkness as something huge lumbers beneath her, its ragged breathing sending pinpricks across her skin. She doesn't know what that is, and she doesn't care to find out, which is how Severa begins her habit of sleeping in trees and hidden in caves.

It's in one cave that she hears something enters in the dark of night, and Severa's hand jolts onto the dagger at her side, the cave's height preventing her from swinging her bastard sword at her back. She waits and, a moment later, a wolf steps into the light of her campfire, its fur so dark that it seems to gleam blue while its eyes shine like quicksilver. Severa and wolf watch each other while the redhead quickly calculates her odds of surviving a fight with a beast that's nearly six feet long. The wolf tilts its head and crinkles its eyes before it turns around and exits the cave. Severa blocks the cave's entrance immediately with a nearby stone until she leaves in the morning. 

She catches the wolf following her, and Severa quickly dashes into the next town. That does nothing to dissuade the wolf, who merely pads in past the fortified wooden walls with its tongue out and its tail wagging. It might as well have been a dog.

No one else seems to be alarmed at the sight of a wild animal trailing Severa, which has the traveller concluding that either the wolf is well-known and safe or these townspeople are incredibly dense and not good at recognizing threats. The wolf continues behind Severa as she makes her way to the small inn at the centre of several dirt roads where she probes the inn-keeper for any knowledge regarding her quest.

The inn-keeper pushes up her glasses, frowning. "I have heard that name briefly in tales of scholars and in legends. The hero-king Marth was said to have known the woman you mentioned as a companion of sorts, a warrior in camaraderie." She strolls over to a large bookshelf behind her front counter where she pulls a thick-looking tome that Severa could use to crack skulls. The inn-keeper flips the book open. "Ah, how edifying. This scholar organized his findings with lucidity." She turns back to Severa, glancing warily at the wolf sitting at her side. "The person in question you are seeking is known as a shapeshifter, a god or demon that has appeared over the century in the same form but has stolen others at the height of their death."

Severa shifts while the wolf huffs. "So, wait. She steals people's forms? What does that mean?"

Miriel frowns and shakes her head. "It is most likely the exaggeration of a man who has indulged himself in mythos. Still, there is a great correlation with whom you search for and many recorded premature deaths. Is it truly wise to continue your pursuit?" 

Severa shrugs. "I have a promise to keep." She turns on her heels and walks away while the wolf glances at Miriel before getting up to follow Severa.

When the wolf doesn't eat her by the third day, Severa tentatively concludes that it must have been tamed at some point in its life. It begins settling down at the edge of her camp, just beyond the light of the fire and sleeping while Severa spends a few nights awake to make sure that she's not on its intended dinner plan. After a week or so, the wolf creeps steadily closer each night until it bumps its head impatiently under Severa's hand as the latter gets ready to sleep in her bedroll. Severa gives in and scratches it behind the ears while the wolf grins with its tongue lolling out. It sleeps by her side for the rest of the night.

When winter hits, the wolf is indispensable as it digs out moles and squirrels under the snow, chasing down hares, and even jumping into rivers to fetch fish for Severa. At night when Severa shivers in her bedroll, the wolf rubs up against her, its thick layer of fur and warmth a relief to the chill running through the redhead. Later when she gets a chance to shoot down a deer with her bow, she cuts out what she needs to eat and leaves the rest for the wolf, who tears through skin and flesh. Most days, Severa and her companion travel in silence, but as the days grow shorter and the nights ever longer, Severa finds herself making idle comments to the beast who seems to grin and laugh in gentle sounds from its chest. 

It's on one particular night where the snow comes down in a blizzard and they have to huddle inside a cave that Severa decides to talk about her quest with the wolf, because trying to find this one girl in the land has been like trying to find a useful thought in Inigo's head. She could at least reason it out aloud, and maybe an idea would come to her. 

The wolf nuzzles its head against her thigh as Severa runs her fingers through its fur, feeling lazy from the warmth of the nearby fire. "Affectionate, aren't you? If you could help me find that stupid girl my mother asked me to protect, that would be fantastic."

The wolf sits up and tilts its head to the side as if listening.

"You know, a girl with dark, blue hair and a silver mark in her left eye." Severa's explaining her search to an animal. She's officially hit rock bottom. "Around my age, kind of immortal according to what that inn-keeper told me. Has a pretty name like Lucina?"

The wolf seems to smile. "Lushina?"

Severa blinks. She stares. "Did you...did you just talk?"

The wolf steps back, and a gust whips around it, shielding it from sight. When the wind dies, a girl dressed in a blue tunic with a heavy cape over her shoulders stand where the wolf was. At her belt lies a long sword with an unusual cross-guard and gold edges hidden in a plain brown scabbard, which she shifts from sight. The girl steps forward, sweeping her hair out of her eyes, a glinting in her left one like a silver brand. She grins and cocks her head to study the gaping girl, a half-lidded heat to her eyes that has Severa's heartbeat rattling oddly. 

Lucina laughs, her eyeteeth glinting like fangs in the light of the fire. "I believe you were looking for me."


End file.
